Sassy Little Thing

by Bella Jewel

  Mason’s voice is terrifying, and brutal, and so very real.

  Blondie laughs. “You even attempt to pull that trigger, and I blow her brains out.”

  “Got your money, and got the girl you want. You give me her, you can have the real one.”

  My eyes move to Yolanda, and she looks terrified.

  Utterly terrified.

  My heart races. He wouldn’t honestly give her over, would he?

  I mean, she deserves hell for what she’s done, but nobody, not even her, deserves this kind of hell.

  “So she wasn’t lying,” Blondie murmurs. “There are two of them.”

  “Yeah,” Mason snarls. “This is the one you want. This is Yolanda. She’s got the cash, we made sure of it. Take her, do whatever the fuck you want to her, just give me Saskia.”

  Blondie grabs my hair, jerking my head back, and I scream from the pain. Mason roars something, but I can’t do anything but stare at the man looking down at me. “So you didn’t lie to me. No wonder you put up a good fight. I wonder what I should do with you? You’ve been fun...”

  He lets my hair go, and looks to Yolanda. “But she’ll deliver the same message. You want the broken one, you can have her. I’m not lettin’ this one go, however, until you pass me that one and the cash.”

  No.

  They can’t do that.

  Koda releases Yolanda and she shakes her head, stepping back. Two men grab her by the arms, and drag her to the side, shuffling through her coat pockets until they come out with a massive bundle of cash. The man counts it, and then nods.

  “Do we have a deal?” Mason asks. “You take her, and the cash, and give me my girl back.”

  “We have a deal, but you can drop your guns first,” Blondie says.

  No.

  They’re not going to do this.

  No way in hell.

  Yolanda is a lot of things, but she’s my sister, and damned if I will sit back and be as cold and as heartless as her.

  I’ll never allow it.

  Never.

  Not for a single second.

  So I move without warning. Blondie is paying attention to Mason, and not to me. I slam my head backwards, smashing into his nose. He roars and the gun falls from his hands. I turn around, not sure how my body is still functioning, and I smash my bound fists into his nose again, sending him toppling to the ground.

  He’s roaring in pain.

  Hell breaks loose.

  Blood spurts from his nose. Gunshots are fired. Someone is grabbing me.

  There’s blood everywhere.

  And yelling.

  And I’m being dragged out.

  I have no more fight left in me.

  The moment I’m out of the house, with whoever is holding me, my legs give way.

  I’m swung up into a set of arms, and a voice fills my ears, husky and warm, “Stupid, stubborn, strong girl.”

  Mason.

  He’s got me.

  “I’m not the same monster she is, Mason. And I never will be. I’m sorry,” I croak, before my eyes start fluttering closed.

  “No,” Mason murmurs, and I’m not sure if it’s a dream, or if it’s really happening. “You most certainly are not. Brave, beautiful girl.”

  Then everything in my world goes black.

  And my body finally stops fighting.

  ~*~*~*~

  SASKIA

  I wake to the beeping sounds of a machine.

  For a moment, distress fills my body and I think that I’m still with them.

  The monsters.

  But after a few terrifying seconds, I realize I’m in a bed, and I’m warm, and there are machines around me.

  I’m in a hospital.

  Mason came for me.

  He came for me after everything.

  And he saved me.

  He saved me.

  Panic quickly returns when I remember the gunshots, and the blood, and I immediately fear for the lives of the other bikers there.

  Did any of them get hurt?

  Or worse?

  My heart starts racing, and I can hear the machine start to beep more rapidly. My eyes start to clear, and my vision becomes less blurry, and I see a woman walking into the room, her eyes on me. She’s wearing a light blue uniform, and stops at the side of my bed, staring down at me. “Hi there,” she says, reaching over and clipping something onto my finger, “how are you feeling?”

  I blink a few times, then in a croaky voice I say, “I’m mostly numb. What...what happened to me?”

  Well. I know what happened to me. But I mean, how bad is it.

  She doesn’t know that, and starts rambling, “We’re not sure. You were brought in by some local,” she looks left, then right, “bikers...they said you had been attacked by an ex-boyfriend. They didn’t know where he was, refused to talk to police. Scary men, they were. We suspect they had something to do with it...”

  “They didn’t,” I croak, as quickly as I can. “They had nothing to do with anything. They’d not hurt me. Are...are they here?”

  “Well, yes, they haven’t left. We took you right into surgery, you had some substantial injuries, broken bones, internal bleeding, and a lot of cuts and bruises.”

  Yeah.

  I remember the pain my body endured at the hands of those assholes.

  “Can I see them, please?”

  “The bikers?” She asks, scrunching her nose up a little. “Well, yes, but I need to have you looked at before I can allow visitors in here.”

  I don’t know why she’s so shocked that I’d want to see them.

  No wonder they spend so much time at the club house, people are judgy assholes.

  The doctor comes in, and checks me over, telling me that the pain medication from surgery will wear off soon, and I’ll be sore, but that they think I’ll make a full recovery. When he’s done, they finally go and let whoever is out there waiting, in.

  Mason is the first one to walk through the door, and the moment I see him, my heart pounds. It just pounds.

  Everything about him sparks me to life.

  And I ache.

  Everywhere.

  Behind him is Malakai and Amalie, followed by Maverick and Scarlett.

  I don’t move my eyes off Mason, though, until he reaches the bed and leans in, getting close and murmuring, “Tell me you’re fuckin’ okay. Two words. I’m okay.”

  My heart swells, and I whisper, “I’m okay.”

  He presses his forehead to mine, and I exhale, closing my eyes, feeling him, breathing him in. He came for me. He risked it all to come for me. He didn’t have to. Hell, two days ago, I wouldn’t have wanted him to. But sitting in that room, wondering if I was going to live or die, made me realize the petty things don’t matter. He was wrong, for doing what he did, but I also understand how it could have happened.

  And, I’ll make sure he makes it up to me.

  Without a doubt.

  He stands up straight, eyes still on mine. I hold them, and ask, voice hoarse, “Yolanda?”

  Malakai is the one to speak, and when he does, it’s gently. “She got shot.”

  I flinch, and my blood runs cold.

  I might not like, or even love, my sister, but the fact of that matter is, she’s still my sister. She’s still my blood. And unlike her, I’d never wish anything to happen to her.

  “Is she...” I whisper, rubbing my arms, “dead?”

  Malakai shakes his head. “No, but she’s in a bad way.”

  I swallow. “You know, I had to do it. I couldn’t let you hand her over. That would have made me as big of a monster as her, and I don’t think I could handle that. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to her. I did what I had to do.”

  Malakai smiles, and Mason turns to me, and says, “Nobody is pissed at you for doin’ that. Fuck knows, she deserved to be tossed at them. What you did, showed me...us...exactly the kind of person you are. And that’s a fuckin’ good one. You made us all proud, Saskia.”

  My heart
feels like it’s going to explode.

  “I could have pushed her for you,” Scarlett points out with a smile. “But, I still think you did the right thing, even though I still want to poke her eyes out.”

  I laugh and it hurts, so I stop, clutching my ribs.

  “Are you in a lot of pain?” Amalie asks, her face concerned.

  I shake my head. “Not yet, but I will be soon apparently. Never mind, I’m alive, and for a while there, I didn’t think I was getting out.”

  Mason steps closer, big hand cupping my cheek. “Never goin’ to let anything happen to you, I would have made sure you got out of there.”

  I swallow, and nod. “How did you find me?”

  Mason grins. “Your insane, smart, best friend.”

  “Chantelle?” I smile.

  “Yeah, she went to Enzo, roped him, got him thinkin’ she was goin’ to pay the money, and got the names of the people after him. Stupid fucker fell for it.”

  I frown. “But, if she didn’t deliver and said she would, Enzo might come after her.”

  Mason’s eyes flash. “Enzo ain’t comin’ after anyone, I promise you that. He wouldn’t want to dare.”

  Maybe.

  But I’m still worried.

  Enzo doesn’t just lie down.

  If Chantelle screwed him over, he will come after her.

  One way or another.

  ~27~

  MASON

  “The people who took me, are they all dead?” Saskia whispers, rolling and tucking herself into my side as best she can.

  The nurses and doctors tried to get me to leave.

  I told them over my dead fuckin’ body.

  And they decided not to argue.

  Smart thinking.

  So I shrugged my jacket and boots off, and got into the bed with my girl. She didn’t complain, and has been tucked into my side since. It’s well past midnight, and the hospital is quiet, but there is no way either of us are sleeping. Not after what happened. Handling her is like handling fine china right now, but nothing is keeping me from her.

  Fuckin’ nothing.

  “Not all of them,” I growl, frustrated two got away.

  When Saskia hit Blondie, the other men in the room threw down, and started shooting. We reacted quickly, shooting at them, and the blond motherfucker crawled out.

  He got away.

  But we will find him, and we will make sure he suffers. Slowly. Painfully.

  “Oh,” Saskia whispers. “So we’re not safe.”

  “I’ll make sure you’re safe, babe. Guarantee it.”

  She doesn’t say anything for a few seconds, and then says, “Any news on Yolanda?”

  “She’s had surgery, she’s doin’ okay so far. You can see her tomorrow, when you’re not in so much pain.”

  “Mason?”

  “Mmmm?”

  “Do you think I’m crazy for caring, after everything she’s done?”

  I hesitate, wanting to answer this question perfectly.

  “No,” I finally say. “I don’t think you’re crazy. Not even fuckin’ close. All that shows me, is that your heart is pure as fuckin’ gold and that’s somethin’, Saskia. Not many people out there can honestly say they’d be as kind as you, after someone did something so awful. The fact that you can rise above it, makes you the strongest kind of person.”

  “I’m never going to forgive her, but I couldn’t let anything happen to her, either. I would have never forgiven myself then, and that’s an even worse position to be in.”

  Tell me about it.

  “You’re the best kind, babe. Don’t doubt it.”

  “Have you spoken to Theresa?” She asks me, voice soft, sleepy, gorgeous.

  “No, but I’m goin’ to get what’s mine. All I could think about, was you, Saskia. I fucked up, and you were in danger, and Theresa was the last thing on my mind.”

  She goes silent for a moment. “I was so angry at you,” she whispers, “so freaking angry. I mean, I couldn’t believe you thought I’d do something like that. The thought just made me...wild.”

  I roll over, cupping her face. “I fucked up. We all did. And I’ll spend forever making it up to you. I didn’t give you a chance to speak, didn’t even let you tell your side of it. I know what I did, and I’ll not forgive myself for it, but I can promise you, it’ll never happen again.”

  She studies me. “I can’t fully blame you. I didn’t tell any of you about Yolanda, and that’s on me. I should have done that. But, what’s done is done. We can’t undo it. But Mason, know that it’s going to hurt for a while, and there are times I might get angry at you for no good reason, because some of it, is still lingering in my mind.”

  Like me finger fucking Yolanda.

  I’m not going to bring that up, but I know it bothers her.

  And I don’t blame her for it.

  “Gotta know,” I say, huskily. “That I’ll keep provin’ to you just how sorry I am, until you don’t ever think of any of it.”

  “Soooo,” she says, putting a hand on my cheek, “does this mean you like me now?”

  I grin at her. “More than fuckin’ like you, babe. I’m fallin’ in love with you. Know what that means, don’t you?”

  She shakes her head, looking up at me from beneath those lashes. “No. What does it mean?”

  “It means you’re owned by a biker, that also means that you’re mine and always will be mine.”

  She purses her lips. “What are the perks here? Of being owned by a biker? What’s in it for me?”

  I grin at her, and rub my hips against her, gently. She can feel my cock, and her cheeks flush.

  “That, for one,” I growl.

  “Tempting, but I’m going to need more.”

  I smirk.

  “You get taken care of, for the rest of your life. You never have to be scared when you’re with me, because fucked if I’ll ever let anyone hurt you again.”

  She smiles, warm and real. “That sounds pretty tempting.”

  “Believe it, baby. It’ll be tempting every day of your life. Best of all, I’ve always got your back. From this second on, I’ll never doubt you again.”

  Her eyes get soft. “I think I’m mostly sold. I do have one more question?”

  “And what’s that?”

  “Are you going to tie me up? Because honestly, I can’t guarantee I’ll be as patient as Petra. I just think you should know. I’ve never been a lie down and take it kind of gal.”

  I chuckle. “You don’t have to get tied up. But, I’ll more than happily spank that pretty little ass if you disobey me.”

  Her eyes flash, and she grins. “Sounds like a deal.”

  I chuckle. “Deal, babe.”

  And yeah.

  Fuck yeah.

  Things just got good.

  ~*~*~*~

  SASKIA

  I stare at Yolanda, and she stares at me, and for a moment we just watch each other. I don’t really know where to start, or what exactly it is I want to say to her, but I know I want to say something. She hurt me, in a big way, but I’m closing this door, once and for all. I just don’t really know how to do that.

  She’s my sister, and a small part of me aches that we couldn’t have the bond we should. But, there is nothing I can do to change her. I know that now.

  So, it’s time to move on with my life, and make sure she’s not in it.

  “I’m not here to argue with you, or hear your stories, or anything else,” I say, my voice croaky.

  It took a lot of effort to walk in here, I’m so sore, but I managed.

  I had to do this.

  After everything I’ve been through, I had to do this.

  Yolanda stares at me, but her face is expressionless. Right now, for the first time, I don’t actually know what she’s thinking.

  “You’re my sister, and it pains me that we couldn’t have the relationship everyone else does, but, well, there is no point dwelling. We’ll never be like that. I don’t know what drove you to be so crue
l, to hurt someone who is blood, and I honestly don’t want to know.”

  She opens her mouth, but I put a hand up.

  “There was a single moment, back in that basement, where I could have let them take you. I could have traded your life for mine, and maybe, for a little bit, it might have felt good. To know you were suffering with what you deserved. But then I realized something. That would make me as bad as you. And I’m not, Yolanda. I’m not you. I’ll never be you. I can take a great deal of pride in that.”

  Her face flushes.

  I keep going.

  “I’d never hurt you in the ways you have hurt me, and I can sleep at night knowing my heart is pure. And it made me see, you don’t need punishment. Your life, every single day, is punishment. Your cold, emotionless heart, is how you have to suffer. Because you have to live with yourself, day in, day out. You have to live knowing you’re a terrible person that has done terrible things.”

  She swallows, and for the first time, I see a flash of regret on her face.

  But it’s too late for that, now.

  You can’t come back from what she’s done.

  You just can’t.

  “So, I came in here to tell you, that I’m done. I’m done with you. With the family. With all of it. I have a new family now, people who love me, and you know what? That feels incredible. So you can have Enzo, and your baby, and the twisted life you’re leading. I want no part in it. What you did to me, you have to live with that. I wish no harm on you, Yolanda. But, from this moment forward, I wish for you to stay away from me. I never want to hear from you again.”

  I swallow, because it hurts. Of course it hurts.

  It shouldn’t be like this.

  “Good luck on your journey, and I’m sorry we couldn’t be what we should. I wish you well, I truly do. But my life no longer contains you.”

  With that, I turn and hobble out into the hall.

  I lean against the wall, and press my hand to my chest.

  That wasn’t easy, but it was for the best.

  I deserve so much more.

  And today, I made the choice to free myself from anything that was bringing me pain.

  And that was her.

  It doesn’t feel good right now.

  But I know, I just know.