by S. Nelson
There were four against twelve, possibly more if there were additional men inside the house, other than the one Ford saw through the window. Working to our advantage, even though it was a fucked-up way to compare, was that Marek, Stone, and Ryder had experience with going up against this club, different members aside, and Ford had armed forces training. And while I’d been involved with killing some of these assholes when trapped in a bedroom with them, discharging my gun hadn’t been planned. When my finger twitched against the trigger, it’d been a reaction to them firing on me, Ryder, Ace, and Tag.
Self-preservation. And thankfully we’d all walked, or limped, away from that encounter.
Now, as I stared past Ford at the men gathered not fifty feet from where we stood, I wasn’t so sure self-preservation was gonna be enough to allow us all to walk away unscathed. My mind wanted to pull me deeper down that rabbit hole, but Marek spoke up before I fell further.
“It’s better if we take them while they’re out in the open. Too many hinderances once they get inside the house.” Marek hadn’t given a suggestion but instead a plan of attack.
The soft clank of metal erupted as we all pulled our weapon of choice forward. “No grenades until we find Braylen and Zoe,” Ryder whispered, bumping into my shoulder when he brushed past me and toward the door.
Releasing the deepest breath I ever held prisoner, I nodded at Marek when he made eye contact, falling into line behind the rest of them as we stealthily emerged from behind the large barn doors. Because of the darkness enveloping the building, none of them saw us coming, the only sound echoing in the vast open space was the breaking of a branch that crunched under Stone’s heavy boot.
As the shrill sound of a phone ringing pierced my ears, no doubt one of the other charters calling in warning because it’d been longer than the five minutes Marek gave to Hawke and Tripp before commencing with the plan, I hurried my steps forward.
The first gunshot startled me, even though I’d been the one to pull the trigger, the guy closest to the passenger side of the van falling backward. The rest of them scrambled about in utter confusion before they returned fire. But by the time they even knew what hit them, literally and figuratively, three more were flat on their backs.
The two Reapers who were on the porch when we infiltrated the grounds held their position when their buddies showed up, never stepping foot off the front step. But the first round of gunfire had them retreating inside the house, away from the stray bullets, leaving their brothers to fend for themselves, running away like the true cowards they were.
I hated to even use the term “brother” because the Reapers didn’t look out for one another. They didn’t have each other’s backs, and loyalty was probably a foreign word to them. They were nothing but a group of morally corrupt assholes who took pleasure in harming whomever they wanted, especially women.
Maddie popped into my head in that instant, the few stories I heard about her time with them making me nauseous all over again, and praying to God Zoe wasn’t subjected to even an ounce of what they put Linc’s woman through.
Scrambling toward the house, Marek on my right and Ryder on my left, we used the side of the van as a shield from their shots, the heat of a bullet whizzing past me when I stupidly poked my head out to see how many of them were still outside.
“Fuck, that was close,” I grumbled, more to myself than anyone, glancing over at Prez after several deep breaths of gratitude I was still standing. “Where’s Ford and Stone?” My muscles twitched with the need to poke my head out again, but I didn’t wanna tempt fate.
“Ford managed to sneak around the side of the house, and I think Stone was right behind him.”
“I need to get in there.” Ryder’s voice shook and I understood his anxiousness because I shared in it. We were so close to finding the women, yet it seemed impossible to reach them. One wrong move and that could be the end for any of us. For as much as I wanted to rush forward, consequences be damned, I harnessed the adrenaline racing through me as best I could, looking to our leader for guidance as to what our next move should be.
A longer stretch of silence spanned between the sound of bullets slicing through the air, and I hoped that was because Ford and Stone had managed to hit a few more of them. I checked to see how many shots were left in my magazine, switching it out when I saw I was empty.
The sound of the clip clicking back into place gave me an odd renewed burst of energy. “I’m goin’ around that way,” I whispered, pointing to my left.
“I’m comin’ with you.” Ryder’s hand landed on my forearm.
“I’ll cover you two.” Marek peeked out toward the front of the van, moving slightly to the right before firing. Then he ran back toward the barn, drawing all the attention his way and allowing me and Ryder to stalk off toward the side of the farmhouse.
A spotlight clicked on, momentarily blinding me because my eyes had already adjusted to the darkness, but I quickly recovered, spotting Ford up ahead. I spun around in a circle but the only other person I saw was Ryder, who was only a few steps behind me.
When Ford noticed us, he rushed in our direction, stopping quickly to raise his gun, firing toward the woods.
“Two of them took off over there.” He pointed toward the mass of trees and brush. “There’s a door around back. It’s locked, but I’m sure you won’t have an issue with getting it open.” Did he just smirk at me? Considering everything going down right now, I had to appreciate his sentiment, his slice of humor.
“Where’s Stone?” I asked, curious where our VP had gotten off to.
“I’m not sure.”
We heard more popping sounds in the distance, my heart racing and my thoughts so jumbled I was surprised I could form a coherent thought.
“We’ll go around back.” Ryder nudged my arm for me to follow.
“I’m gonna see if I can find the ones who ran off.” Ford took a step toward the wooded area, looking back before turning his full attention toward the cowardly Reapers who took off.
“Be careful.” My advice wasn’t needed as Ford was the one out of us who’d been officially trained for situations like this.
He nodded and disappeared a few yards away.
“Come on,” Ryder whisper shouted. “I know they’re here.”
I wasn’t sure if he meant more Reapers or Zoe and Braylen, but either way, we needed to proceed to end this nightmare.
42
Burrowed in the corner of the room, holding on to Braylen in what had become our normal position, we heard shouting, muffled voices above our heads followed by stomping. The sound drifted from one end of the room to the other, leading me to believe people were running around upstairs.
Then we heard popping sounds, one after the other. They sounded like fireworks. There was a lull before the noise erupted again, this time faster in succession, but I refused to allow my brain to convince me it was gunfire. Because that could only mean one of two things. Either someone was here, looking for us, or these men decided to get rid of everyone who knew we were here, killing members of their own club to keep us hidden away for as long as they wanted.
The latter didn’t make sense, but I was willing to grab on to that ill-conceived notion rather than the first. Hope was the only thing I had left, and it dwindled with each passing hour we were kept locked away inside this room, flitting away each time one of them laid their hands on me.
With my ears pricked, I listened for every little noise, fearing the door that hid me and Braylen from the rest of the world would burst open and we’d be sucked into whatever was happening.
“Where are they?” I heard someone yell, but I didn’t recognize the voice. I assumed they referred to us, but I couldn’t be sure.
“That’s your dad.” Braylen released her hold on me and struggled to get to her feet. Why couldn’t I recognize my own father’s voice? “He’s here.” She moved toward the door, pushing my hands away when I tried to hold her back. “Ryder.” Her voice came out as a loud whi
sper, but I feared the more she said his name, the louder she’d get, and I couldn’t risk them hearing. I’d been able to protect her from them so far, but I didn’t know how much more I could take. I feared that in a moment of weakness I’d let them choose her instead of me.
Heavy footsteps overhead drew my attention upward, my head moving when the sounds drifted down the stairs right outside this room. The door handle jiggled and on reflex I lunged at Braylen and pulled her backward, both of us falling to the ground in a heap of tangled limbs.
The bald guy with the birthmark on his face rushed in, wildly searching the space, finding us on the floor, terrified and clutching each other.
“They’re gonna regret coming to save you.” He reached for me and I screamed, but before he could get to me and haul me to my feet, another set of footsteps barreled down the narrow staircase, only this person now stood on the threshold of the room. When baldie made another move toward us, a deafening boom erupted, and his right shoulder jerked back. Then I heard another blast of a sound, this time his left leg giving way. He was on the ground ten feet from us, groaning in pain.
A large, shadowy figure filled the entryway of the small space, but I couldn’t make out his face, and I tore my eyes away, closing them as I heard him move closer. Had he shot his buddy so he could have me all to himself? Was he an enemy of the man who sliced into me repeatedly with his weapon of choice? Would he finish me off after doing whatever it was he wanted?
One weighty footstep after another closed in on us, and I knew the end was coming. My gut told me we were going to be taken out of this room, never to return. I’d all but given up on making it out of here alive, but I had to continue to fight for Braylen and my baby brother or sister.
Mustering up the last ounce of battle I had left festering inside me, I kicked my legs frantically in the air the second a hand touched my arm. I punched, slapped, and scratched anything I came into contact with.
“Fuck!” The man hissed but tried to touch me again. “Zoe, stop. It’s me.” I continued to struggle against him until he finally stopped touching me. “Baby.” His voice was softer now, shaky. “You’re safe now.”
I reached out for Braylen, only to realize she wasn’t next to me anymore. “Don’t take her,” I begged, my voice sounding foreign to my own ears. “Take me, please. You said you’d only take me.” I broke down into hysterics, scouring the space on my hands and knees, continuing to search for my stepmom. “Please, take me instead.”
An anguished moan tore from the stranger’s throat and it wasn’t until I moved toward the open door, the light streaming in from the top of the stairwell, that I was able to see who stood in front of me. To see who shot the man who’d delighted in tormenting me.
“Am I dead?” My voice sounded shaky and disbelieving, my head moving from side to side faster as I feared the possible answer to my question. “No, no, no.”
“Zoe.” He reached toward me again, only this time I didn’t fight him. “Baby, come with me.” I shook my head again. “We have to go.” My hands disappeared behind me and I scooted back toward the wall. “We have to go,” he repeated, his voice dipping with a hint of urgency and anger. “Now!”
There was more of that popping sound upstairs and I couldn’t bear to hear it one second longer. Covering my ears, I mumbled incoherently, rocking in place, but my denial of the situation only lasted a couple seconds before I was hauled from my feet and tossed over his shoulder.
My screams got lost in my throat and all the fight left my body as he carried me up the stairs, the smell of leather mixed with a coppery scent invading my nose.
A smell I’d unfortunately become too familiar with.
Blood.
I was jostled about and had there been anything in my stomach I would’ve undoubtedly thrown it up by now. A strong arm was wrapped around the back of my legs, holding me in place as he rushed around the corner, freezing in place for a moment before tearing through the rest of the house. When the night air hit my skin, I shivered, my cries bubbling forth and tearing from my mouth before my brain could register the noise being created.
“It’s okay now, baby. I got you. No one will ever hurt you again.” His words were choppy, but I heard every one, his hold tightening as I continued to cry.
Then another pop sounded, and we were suddenly jolted forward.
Then there was only darkness.
43
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” I barked, hauling Zoe back over my shoulder as I climbed back to my feet, only this time I had to limp because a bullet hit me in the back of my left thigh.
“Is she okay?” Ryder asked, running at us to check on the status of his daughter. He’d gone into the basement with me, looking back and forth between his wife and Zoe. I was the one who pushed him toward Braylen, making the decision for him. Even though he was her father, I didn’t want anyone touching her but me. I needed to see her, to feel her, to hear her voice.
“We need to get her to the hospital.” My words alone were enough to make me start to lose it all over again. I had no idea what they’d done to her, and it wasn’t until I carefully deposited her into the back of the vehicle, that I saw the true state of her. One of the guys must’ve moved it from where we originally parked, most likely anticipating we’d be carrying two bodies out of the house and not wanting to walk the distance to the truck.
The yellow dress she wore, the one she changed into because of a stupid comment I made, was painted red, the neckline torn, barely covering the top of her. When I shifted her toward the far seat, I saw she wasn’t wearing any panties. Rage clouded my vision, my hand shaking when I lowered the bottom of her skirt back down. I wanted to remain in the realm of not knowing, but the absence of her underwear meant only one thing.
“We’ll take her to the cabin,” Stone said, peering into the back seat but he couldn’t see Zoe because I hovered over her. “Addy will look her over, and if she feels she needs to go to the hospital, then she’ll go.” He touched my shoulder and I flinched. “Addy needs to look at your leg, too.”
“What if she’s hurt too badly for Addy to fix?”
“Then she’ll go to the hospital.” Stone had just told me that, but my brain wasn’t working correctly. “We don’t need any more police attention right now, especially when we’re still in the middle of all this. Griller’s not here and he wasn’t at either of the other two locations.” The VP mumbled something else but turned away from me to speak with one of the other guys a few feet away before I could ask him what he said. Then he was back, standing outside the SUV. “Ryder and you are gonna take Braylen and Zoe back to the cabin. We’ll be along shortly afterward.” I didn’t say a word when he walked away again.
My hand drifted over Zoe’s arm, but she didn’t move. I leaned in close, releasing the suspended air in my lungs only when I saw her chest rise, then fall. She’d passed out, and I couldn’t help but be thankful she was able to find some sort of brief reprieve from what just happened.
Slipping from the back seat, I gently closed the door behind me, resting briefly against the side of the truck. Blood continued to pour from my left leg, and I needed to stop the steady flow if I had any chance of not passing out myself. Hobbling toward the back of the vehicle, I rifled around inside, snatching an old towel tucked into the corner. I wrapped the material around my leg as best I could and cinched it tightly, my features contorting from the jolt of pain that followed.
My mind started to wander, remembering Zoe shouting “You said you’d only take me,” but before I went completely off the rails, I needed details, specifics. I feared the knowledge, but I needed it to know what to do next.
“How is she?” Ryder stood next to me, his wife tucked securely under his arm, sobbing silently, brushing away her tears as swiftly as they trailed down her cheeks. It was then I realized I never answered his previous question about Zoe.
“I don’t know, other than she’s covered in dried blood.” My voice shook. “I don’t know what they di
d to her.” My eyes jumped to Braylen, realizing she was the only other person, beside Zoe and the corpses spread around this place, who knew the truth. I leaned down and touched her arm. “What did they do to her?”
She shook her head, turning fully into Ryder while she continued to cry, her sobs tearing me apart on the inside. When I looked up, Ryder’s eyes were glassy, his expression stoic yet crumbling the longer he tried to comfort his wife. He knew, as well as I did, that Braylen’s silence had answered my question, but I needed to hear the words.
I didn’t want to push her to respond, but the storm brewing inside was set to engulf me any second if she didn’t start talking. With a deep breath, I closed my eyes and opened my mouth, but I didn’t get the chance to expel any of my anger onto her because she removed herself from the security of her husband’s arms and reached out to grasp my hand.
“At first, I didn’t know… I was still unconscious, but when I came to… she never said anything.” The tremor in her voice affirmed my fears. “She told them to take her instead of me. Oh God,” she cried, covering her face with her hands before moving them to rest over her belly. “She was trying to protect me… and the baby… from them.”
“How many times?” The three words left my mouth before I realized I said them.
“Twice that I know of.”
Ryder quickly brushed his hand over his face, finding out what happened to his child shattering the strength he tried to emanate. I wanted to join him, to cry over what happened to Zoe, but the fury boiling in my veins needed to be fed first. So instead of focusing on my despair, I harnessed the rage, sculpting it into the weapon I’d need to destroy any of them we found alive.
“We should go,” he finally said, straightening his posture and reaching for the passenger door. After he tucked Braylen inside, he squeezed my shoulder. “We’ll make them pay. I promise.”