by Sam Crescent
“Can I interrogate him before you do your thing?” asked Dog.
He trusted Dog, so he didn’t hesitate to nod his approval. What were Dog’s thoughts on this? He didn’t like his men second-guessing Beth. Whoever did betray the club wasn’t going to have a good night.
Several boys went ahead of them, their guns at the ready. They would have already been picked up on security, so they needed to move fast. Peterson’s men came rushing out the side entrance and down the narrow walkway. Redneck and Slash took them down fast, blood splattering the stone walls of the house. He stepped over the bodies as they made their way inside. There were footsteps running upstairs and dogs barking.
“Fan out. Find that motherfucker and bring him to me,” said Forge.
The interior of the house was impressive, but not the kind of place he’d want to raise a family. Everything was white with sharp, modern lines. The wide-open spaces had hard, clinical-looking furniture. He tried to imagine Beth living here as a kid. She’d told him it was cold and love wasn’t something she was ever offered. Seeing it firsthand was like a blow to the chest.
He was supposed to protect her, to give her the family she never had.
Forge’s rage built as he searched the house, kicking open doors and checking every room. He wanted Peterson to suffer, to feel the same fear and humiliation he’d put his daughter through. He could beg for his life, but Forge wasn’t a saint. Once he decided a man was going down, he always followed through.
“Boss!”
He rushed to the voice, his heavy footfalls echoing in the hallway. Redneck held open a door and used his gun to point inside a room at the end of the hall. Forge stepped inside, scanning the second-story room. Peterson sat behind a large oak desk centered on an ornate carpet.
The bastard choked back a laugh. “No refunds.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” asked Forge. “Don’t tell me you’re referring to your own daughter.”
“You took the girl, so the debt is paid. That was the deal.”
“Wrong, motherfucker. I said it bought you time. The debt never goes away until it’s paid. As for your daughter, I own her now. If it makes you feel better, call her interest paid.”
Dog joined them in the room.
“What other debts do you have, Peterson?” asked Forge. “There’s been word of you talking shit about my club.”
The old man shrugged. “Have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He nodded to Dog. His VP was extremely talented when it came to making cocky bastards talk. Dog walked around the desk and used his boot to spin Peterson’s chair around. Then immediately capped him in the knee. Dog holstered his gun then sat on the edge of the desk as he watched Peterson wail and clutch his shattered knee.
The cries carried when Dog grabbed a handful of his hair and held a blade to his neck. “You talked to someone in our club. Someone who gave you privileged information that you used to pay off other debts. Don’t fucking lie to me. I have all day, and I’ll be spending it here with you—unless you start talking and naming names.”
It always amazed Forge how men gave up everything once you added a little pain. Didn’t they realize it wasn’t going to end until they were in a body bag?
“They wanted to know about Beth.”
Forge wasn’t expecting this. “What are you talking about?” asked Forge, stepping closer.
“Word got around that you’d fallen for her. Not a good idea in your world, but I’m sure you already know that. Your enemies wanted inside information so they could use her against you. Get you to bow down or something. I forget exactly what they said.”
“What information did you give our rivals? Who gave it to you?” Forge’s voice was growing louder to match the level of his fucking anxiety. This entire visit was to prove to his men that Beth hadn’t sold out the club, but it was someone in his club selling out Beth. And he didn’t even know where she was. For all he knew, this was all a trap, and they got what they wanted.
“Your guy wanted Beth gone. They gave me information to make it easy to find her in the club, her routines, and stuff like that,” said Peterson.
Dog pressed the muzzle of his gun against the old man’s shot-up knee, making him squeal like a pig. “He asked you a damn question. Who gave you the information?”
“I can’t! He’ll kill me.”
Forge laughed out loud. He leaned over the desk. “My club thought Beth was giving you inside information to sell us out. I never believed it, not for a damn second. But I won’t be leaving here tonight until I know exactly who’s backstabbing me under my own roof. Give me a name, Peterson. My patience is waning.”
He nodded to Dog.
His VP stepped back to avoid the spray and shot the other knee. “This can go on all night. What should I hit next?”
Peterson cried hysterically. “No more! Please, no more!”
“The fucking name,” said Forge.
“He calls himself Hound. That’s all I know, I swear.”
Forge froze in place. It felt like the breath had been sucked out of his lungs. An intense betrayal overwhelmed him, nearly making him sick. Hound had been his enforcer for as long as he could remember. He trusted him as much as he could trust another man.
Why? For what?
Because he didn’t like his woman, because she was a civilian? Did he want to be Prez? Nothing made sense. His shock was replaced by fury and the immediate need for justice.
“You don’t deserve to have a daughter like Beth.” There was no emotion in his voice. He pulled out his gun and put a bullet between Peterson’s eyes, finishing him.
Where was Hound? He wasn’t at Peterson’s place. Dog looked as shocked as he felt about the new revelation.
“If you knew anything about this, brother, I need to know right fucking now,” said Forge.
“This is all news to me. He betrayed you, betrayed the club. He needs to be dealt with tonight.”
****
Beth replayed what he’d said in her head over and over again. And she couldn’t get the hard, cold look in his eyes out of her mind. He didn’t love her. She was a possession. A baby-making machine. Everything that terrified her, all the nagging insecurities were true. Beth wasn’t special to Forge. How could she think otherwise?
The man was the president of a notorious motorcycle club. He wouldn’t know love or compassion if his life depended on it. He was just excellent at deception, and she was so starved for affection that she fell for his act.
It was a beautiful fantasy while it lasted.
Beth opened one of the refrigerators and looked for a snack. She felt like crap. All she wanted to do was hide and never be found, but running from Forge would be pointless. He’d find her and make her suffer. Maybe she’d get thrown in a cage next to Romy.
She’d have to learn to turn off her emotions and become the toy he’d paid for. Or maybe her usefulness was up now that he’d taken her virginity.
“Are you cooking tonight?”
Beth turned and saw one of the women leaning against the counter. She couldn’t remember her name but knew they all hated her. After dealing with Romy, Beth didn’t trust any of the women. She was done trying to make friends or fit in. They were all gorgeous, making her feel fat and frumpy in comparison. Right now, her confidence was at an all-time low.
“No, not tonight.”
She closed the fridge. Forge didn’t even realize or care how much he’d destroyed her. He was off with the guys, like nothing happened. Must be nice not to have a conscience.
Before she left the kitchen, she hesitated then stopped in her tracks. She had nothing to lose now. Beth turned to the woman. “Why do all of you hate me?”
“I don’t hate you,” she said.
“Then you’re a rarity.”
The woman chuckled. “They’re just jealous. Ignore them.”
“Easier said than done,” she said. “And they have nothing to be jealous of. I’m nothing special to Forge.�
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“Are you kidding me?”
“What?”
“He’s a different person now. Most of the club is on edge, wondering which way he’ll fall.”
“I don’t understand,” said Beth.
“You’re not too bright.” The woman winked and came closer, sitting at one of the long dining tables. “He’s crazy in love with you.”
She didn’t believe it. Not anymore. “Then he has a funny way of showing it.”
“He’s the Prez. Trust me, he’s never been on such good behavior. Before you came, he was brutal. No one dared even tiptoe around him. With you, I don’t know, it’s like you made him come alive for the first time.”
Beth smiled to herself but it quickly faded when she remembered the things Forge said to her. “No, he’s good at playing games. I’m just another number to him.”
“I heard some of what went down in church before they left. He told the boys you’re going to be his old lady. Nobody is supposed to fuck with you. It was pretty intense.”
“Where’d they go?”
“You don’t know?”
She shook her head.
“I probably shouldn’t say, but they’re after Peterson. Forge is going to kill him to clear your name.”
“I told Forge I didn’t do anything. I didn’t sell out the club. I wasn’t lying.”
“He knows,” she said. “The club demands he handle his shit. If they smelled you were betraying him, they’d try to force his hand. He was protecting you.”
“Protecting me?”
“I swear to God, he’d choose you if shit went down. The boys wouldn’t want to believe that was possible. Hell’s Slaves aren’t known for falling in love.”
“You know a lot.”
Beth knew the women weren’t supposed to know too much. Forge liked a tight club.
“Well, one day, I hope Dog will pick me. He opens up to me more than the others. And I’m one of his favorites. A girl can dream.”
Beth swallowed hard. It disgusted her how the men shared all the women, leading them on, and using them every day. “You like this life?”
“The club? I was born into the club life the same as Forge. I could never do your kind of normal. This is what I know. The guys complain about Forge bringing in a civilian. You judge what you don’t understand. But he can’t help who he falls in love with—that I can understand.”
She wanted to say she’d grown to love club life, but now her world had soured. She didn’t know what to believe or what to think. Part of her wanted to talk to Forge, the man she’d grown to love, hoping he’d talk to her and explain away everything. But she was terrified he’d be the same man who’d attacked her today.
“You’re right. Maybe I don’t belong.”
She laughed. “Try telling that to Forge. He’ll never let you leave.”
Beth didn’t want to leave, but she also wanted the Forge who told her all those sweet lies, not the man she’d run from today.
“What’s your name?” asked Beth.
“Sable.”
“Thanks for being nice to me. It’s lonely being me.” She’d spend her entire life watching the world from behind protective glass.
“It’ll be okay. You’ll see.” Sable slipped off the table and swung her dark hair behind her. “Forge will be in a great mood after tonight.”
After he killed her father.
She shouldn’t care, but death was something you didn’t come back from. It scared and fascinated her. But it still made her sad that her own father had sold her. He’d never wanted her. For once, she wanted to be number one in someone’s life. In Forge’s life.
After Sable left the kitchen, leaving her alone, she looked down at herself. Beth laid a gentle hand over the natural roundness of her stomach. Could she be pregnant already? Was life beginning to form in her body? It was too soon to know anything, but it was possible.
Would Forge love his own child or would be heartless like her father? She’d never let her child live the same miserable existence she’d been forced to endure. No, it would know unconditional love. If that meant running from the club to protect her child from Forge, she’d do it, even if it cost her everything.
She heard a bike coming home. It hadn’t been long since they all left. Could it be Forge?
Chapter Eleven
Beth was going to make a sandwich when Hound rushed through the door. He looked panicked and for the first time she’d ever seen, afraid.
“You’ve got to come,” he said, stopping and staring at her.
“What?”
“I need you to follow me. It’s Forge. He’s in trouble and he needs you.”
She stared at the man, not really sure what she should do or if she should even trust him. He wasn’t a friend to her—far from it.
After what Forge did to her, she didn’t want to go running back to him regardless of if he was in trouble.
But if he’s in serious trouble, you wouldn’t want anything to happen to him. You still love him even if you don’t like him right now.
She sounded weak even to her own ears and she hated sounding like that.
Beth reluctantly got up. “What kind of trouble?”
“Just come with me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You don’t have to fucking understand, you stupid bitch. You’ve got to learn to follow instructions. That’s all you’ve got to do. It’s nothing complicated. Why does everything with you women have to be an essay? Can’t you just do?”
She gritted her teeth even as her eyes filled with tears. She shouldn’t be sad or upset. He clearly wasn’t used to dealing with women and besides, his insults reminded her of her father. He always told her how she was useless or that she only had no good qualities. It was nothing new. She was used to being insulted.
“I’ll put this away then we can go.”
Hound marched over to her, grabbed the plate in her hand, and threw it to the ground, the fractured pieces scattering in every direction. “I said now.” He took her wrist and dragged her out of the kitchen.
“Ouch. You’re hurting me. Stop.”
He didn’t listen.
All of a sudden, Sable stood by the bar. “Hound, what’s going on?”
“Prez needs her.”
“Where is he?” asked Sable.
“None of your fucking business. She’s coming with me.”
The more he spoke, the more the fear crawled up inside her. This wasn’t right. Something was off. She didn’t know exactly what, but it scared her, terrified her. She didn’t know what to do.
Looking at Sable, she tried to communicate her fear to the other woman so she’d go and get some help.
Sable rounded the bar. “Hound, I don’t think this is a good idea. I don’t know what’s going on but we both know Forge wouldn’t want anything to happen to her.”
He sighed. “You know, I kind of liked you. I know Dog had a bit of a thing for you, but you talk way too much. No brother is going to make a whore an old lady. I’m putting you out of your misery.”
The sound of the gunshot echoed around the room and Sable fell to the floor.
Hound had shot Sable.
Beth couldn’t believe it.
Forge wasn’t in trouble at all.
This man was double-crossing him or betraying him. Either way, it was fucked up and she couldn’t allow him to do something like that.
He had the gun trained on Sable’s head, about to shoot at her again, and she couldn’t let that happen.
“Please,” she said. “I don’t want to die.”
There was an empty beer bottle within reach. Beth didn’t think. She didn’t allow herself to weigh the cost of what doing this would mean if she was pregnant. Angering a man who looked more like a giant wasn’t a good idea. It was a fucking stupid idea, she knew that. But Sable didn’t deserve to die. She had a right to have a chance at a life, of being happy. She wasn’t about to let another man order and hurt a woman.
She was fucking done with all this shit.
After grabbing the bottle, she slammed it once across his head. It didn’t smash like it did in the movies. She hit him again, distracting him, getting him to turn his attention on her. She could handle the abuse, the pain, the nasty words.
Only, she didn’t stick around to hear it. Charging toward the front of the clubhouse, she ran out, going straight for the gate. His bike was parked near the main doors and she rushed past.
Freedom. If only she kept on running. He’d chase her. She wanted him to chase her, to try to take her out and not hurt her newfound friend.
Pumping her legs, she cleared the gate and took several feet around the corner out of reach of the deserted clubhouse. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and began to pull her back.
“Let me go!” she screamed, thrashing, hitting his hands, and because she was such a bad shot, she landed a couple of blows to her own stomach. She didn’t give up fighting.
Men accusing her of betraying them, being sold to them, telling her how she wasn’t important—it all pissed her off. Their time for hurting her had come to an end. She was done with the entire lot of them. All of them could rot in hell for all she cared.
“Get off me. Let me go.”
He pulled her back to the clubhouse, up near his bike. As she reached behind her to claw out his eyeballs, he threw her across the clubhouse parking lot ground. She skidded in the dirt.
“I’m starting to see what he’s fallen for. You are a little wildcat, aren’t you?”
She got to her feet. Her body ached from the impact. He rushed toward her and shoved her again hard.
Beth cried out as she landed on her butt. The impact jarred her entire body.
She screamed harder as he grabbed her hair and lifted her up, but he wasn’t done with her there. She had no choice but to follow as he led her all the way around the back.
“You know, I was going to make this easy. Send you to his enemies, let them play with you, but I think I deserve a taste of that golden pussy, don’t you?” He lifted up her head up and slapped her.
The force sent her to the ground.