by Bella Jewel
“So someone in there,” I jab a thumb towards the door, “someone we trust, we believe in, is fuckin’ snitchin’ on us?”
“That’s what I’m thinkin’, yeah,” Mal growls.
That would explain the defeated look in his eyes.
“What the fuck are we gonna do?” I ask.
Koda looks to Mal. “Right now, we’re keepin’ it between us three. Don’t trust anyone else at this point. We want to bust the fucker, and make him wish he never crossed us.”
And wish he’ll never crossed us, he will.
“And Treyton?”
“He’s next,” Mal says, eyes icy.
Time to take that fucker out.
Once and for all.
~*~*~*~
SCARLETT
I get Amalie’s address by texting her, and wave down a cab once I’m far enough away from the club not to be caught. My heart is racing, my backside is sore, my pussy is still full of Maverick, and I’m pissed off. Really, really pissed off. Adrenaline is high in my body, and I’m not paying any attention as I wait on the side of the road, not thinking about anything except what just happened at that club.
I don’t see him.
He comes out of nowhere. A car stops, and he is out and grabbing me before I have the chance to protest. He jerks me into the car, and has the door slammed before a scream escapes my mouth. I lunge right away, trying to get back out, but he slams a fist into my cheek, causing me to land against the window with a bellow of pain. My vision blurs, and I can’t see, think, or feel for a few seconds.
“You stupid fuckin’ bitch,” Treyton’s angry voice roars. “You think you could cross me and not feel the consequences!?”
I blink, trying to gather my strength, “I...I...”
“You will fuckin’ pay for telling those bikers about the drugs. You will pay. And they will pay. They have meddled in my fuckin’ business for too long.”
I focus on Treyton - he’s glaring at me, panting with rage. My head spins, and I look up at him, confused. He thinks I told them about the drugs? I didn’t tell a soul.
“I didn’t...I didn’t say a word about the drugs. I swear,” I whisper. “I only found out they knew today.”
He studies me, his jaw tight.
“I have very nearly fuckin’ lost my life because of you, and those interfering scumbags. I had to risk fucking everything to get those drugs back out before they got their hands on them. They’ve declared a fuckin’ war, and it’ll start with you. They’re going to wish they didn’t cross me.”
I blink, and open my mouth to say something, but his fist flies out and smashes against my face, hitting my cheek. I scream, and try to fight, hands flying around. He hits my ribs, my stomach, my back, anything his hands can get to. He grips my hair, causing a burning pain to radiate through my skull, and he slams my head into the side of the window. Whoever is driving, doesn’t flinch.
They just keep moving.
Pain, unlike anything I’ve ever felt in my life, rips through my body. Hit after hit, punch after punch. I can taste blood, my eyes are filled with it to the point I can’t see, my ears are ringing, and my head is pounding. My screams are mangled, my body has given up its fight. After what feels like forever, Treyton stops hitting me, and the car slows down. He grabs my dress in one hand, and a handful of hair in the other, raising me up so my face is inches from his.
“I should fuckin’ kill you, but not today. You’re my warning to them. Be sure to pass it along. If they do not stay out of my business, I will come in, and I will give them a fight that they won’t ever fuckin’ recover from. I will turn their fucking world upside down. Consider yourselves warned.”
The door opens, and suddenly my body is flying through the air, as if I weigh nothing. I hit the dirt, and more pain, more loud cracks, and more of my screams fill the air. I roll to my side, blood everywhere, silent screams being ripped from my throat because I have gone past the point of being able to make a sound.
I hear boots.
I hear my name.
“Fuck. Scarlett. No.”
Maverick.
Maverick.
Help me.
I’m sorry.
~*~*~*~
MAVERICK
“Call a fuckin’ ambulance!” I roar, dropping to my knees, tearing holes in my jeans as I scoop up the broken, bleeding girl, that just got launched from a truck onto our driveway.
There is so much blood. She’s covered in it.
Head to toe.
Fuckin’ covered.
Pain rips through my chest as I pull her into my arms. There is too much blood. Way too much blood.
“Call a fuckin’ ambulance!” I roar again, vision blurring.
“One is on the way.”
Mal’s voice.
“Fucking Jesus Christ.”
Koda.
“Scarlett,” I say, trying to swipe the bloodied pieces of hair from her face, but there’s just too much.
She’s going to die.
No.
Fuck.
“Scarlett. Baby. Wake up. Please, fuckin’ wake up.”
She makes the most horrible, pained sound, I’ve ever heard come from a woman in my life. My heart feels like someone has ripped it from my chest.
“Baby, wake up. Fuckin’ please. I’m so sorry.”
Everything happens quickly after that. The ambulance arrives. Someone takes her from my arms. I stand there, numb, covered in her blood. Mal moves me. Then we’re driving. To the hospital - I think. Fuckin’ bright lights. People screaming at each other. Someone keeps grabbing my arm, squeezing my shoulder. Then I’m sitting.
Waiting.
This is my fault.
All my fuckin’ fault.
I should have listened to her.
I should have never let her leave.
She’s going to die because I fuckin’ failed her.
I failed her.
~*~*~*~
SCARLETT
Everything hurts.
The lights, they’re too bright.
Someone keeps calling my name. Touching my face. Poking my body.
My eyes flitter open, but I can’t see anything for a long time. Just those blinding lights.
Someone takes my hand. A husky voice calls my name.
A female voice flows in.
Where am I?
I blink. A few times. Maybe more.
Then I see him. Maverick. Sitting beside the bed, eyes red, staring at me. His big hand is curled around mine, and it feels really nice. Really, really nice.
“She’s awake. Nurse.”
I’m being poked again. A woman is asking me questions. Who is she? What does she want?
“Scarlett, you’re in the hospital. Can you hear me?”
Of course I can hear you. It sounds like you’re shouting.
Did I say that out loud?
“Scarlett?”
“Yes,” I croak.
“Very good. Can you focus on my finger?”
I blink some more. My eyes burn. My throat burns. Everything burns.
I focus on her finger. It’s blurry, but I can see it.
“Good. Can you tell me your full name?”
I tell her.
“And your date of birth?”
I tell her.
“I’m going to get the doctor. We will be back soon.”
Someone puts a cup to my mouth. I sip it. Water. The burn eases from my throat. There are more voices. More questions. A doctor. He tells me what happened. Broken ribs. Stitches. Internal bleeding. Too much for me to make sense of.
Treyton.
That’s all I know.
I turn my head to the side, and focus on Maverick. He’s staring at me. Face broken. Green eyes hurt. The doctor finishes up. “We’ll come back to check on her soon.”
Then we’re alone.
Maverick moves first, taking my hand into his, standing up and curling the other one around my cheek. “I’m so fuckin’ sorry, baby. This is all my
fault.”
I shake my head, voice hoarse, “No. It isn’t. We both screwed up.”
“I didn’t give you a chance to tell me what happened. I was so fuckin’ angry. Could have cost you your life.”
“And I didn’t trust you,” I tell him, focusing on his pained eyes. “We both screwed up.”
“Who did this to you?”
I swallow.
“Treyton.”
His jaw gets tight, and he growls, “I will kill him. I will rip every bone from his body. He will suffer for hurting you. I swear it. I fuckin’ swear it.”
“It was a warning, Maverick.”
His eyes swing to me. “What?”
“Can you get Mal in here?”
He narrows his eyes. “Yeah.”
He leaves, and a few minutes later, returns with Mal and Koda by his side. Mal looks equally as pained, Koda keeps his expression blank.
“So fuckin’ sorry, girly,” Mal tells me. “We fucked up.”
“It isn’t your fault, Mal.”
“How are you feelin’?” Koda asks.
“I’ve been a whole lot better,” I croak. “It’s going to hurt for a while, but I’m strong. I’ll get through. Is there any media attention over this?”
Maverick shakes his head. “Nobody knows. Susan made sure of it.”
I nod. “Okay.”
“Treyton did this,” Maverick tells Mal.
Mal nods. “Thought as much.”
“It was a warning,” I tell them. “He thinks I told you about the drugs. He said if you wanted a war, you’ll have one. If you don’t stay out of his business, what happens next will be far worse.”
“This was his fuckin’ warning?” Koda growls. “Fuck. What sort of cold monster is he?”
“He’s dangerous,” I whisper. “So damned dangerous.”
Maverick looks to Mal. “What do we do? Your call.”
Mal looks to me, then back to the guys. “He can’t get away with this. He wants control over the town, the drugs runnin’ through it, but I can’t give that to him. Mostly, he won’t get away with hurting any member of this family.”
Family?
I’m their family?
My heart explodes.
“That’s right, baby,” Maverick says. “Family. Always. He will suffer for hurting you.”
That feels nice. So nice.
“So, what do we do now?” I whisper.
Mal looks to me, holding my eyes. “We fight. We don’t let him win. We come back twice as hard.”
Oh. God.
That isn’t good.
“I have a feeling this is all about to blow,” Maverick mutters, running his hands through his hair.
Mal nods. “This is far from fuckin’ over, it’s just about to begin.”
I look to Maverick. “Am I safe? Are we safe?”
He shakes his head, curling a hand around mine. “Until Treyton is dead, nobody is.”
Maverick leans down, cupping my face with his hands. “Won’t let anyone hurt you again, baby. Swear it on my life. Love you, do you hear me?”
“I hear you,” I whisper.
Only I’m not sure I believe him.
Treyton is only getting warmed up.
This war has only just begun.
TO BE CONTINUED....
I swear, it isn’t a cliffhanger!! The story will be continued in the next book of the series, being released in October 2017. Coming up next, to keep the heat risen, is Amalie and Malakai.
Their story is one not to be missed!