by Snow, Nicole
She picked me up at the apartment and we were off. I tried to push the grim atmosphere out of my head for the day. I'd never been too deep into fashion, but getting out and trawling bridal shops seemed more appealing than another day cooped up in the apartment, wondering what was eating at my man.
Saffron said Blaze was distant and stressed as all hell too. It didn't make me feel any better.
Whatever was going on with the club, it was bad. All the guys were scarce while they dealt with the monsters at our gates.
The morning passed quickly. Before I knew it, we were on shop number two, more like a crazy looking thrift store than a proper bridal shop. It was the kinda place I would've preferred myself, and Saffron obviously liked it too.
“Well?” She smiled and planted her foot on the leather bench next to me.
“Jesus! You sure you're going to be able to get down the isle without falling in those things?”
She shot me a wicked grin. “Oh, yeah. I've had plenty of practice shaking tail in these getups. Same as you, girl. A woman's got to get creative to surprise her man after fucking him a few hundred times. These heels will knock his socks off.”
I smiled. “More like get him off. Those things'll definitely do the job.”
“What about something for you?” Saffron winked. “You're welcome to do more than tag along. I'm sure Sting would appreciate some surprises too.”
I lowered my face, trying not to flush. All the hard loving with that man hadn't driven away my virgin modesty yet. But I wasn't going to act like a prude around this woman.
I set off, seeking the most outrageous heels I could find. Bypassing the shoes, I hit the lingerie first and found the frilliest violet top and skimpy matching panties. They were a perfect match for the blaring purple bitch heels around the corner.
Stinger flashed in my brain, growling between my legs as I dug my heels into his side. Was I okay with a man fucking me like a braying bull?
The mischievous grin Saffron returned on my way back to her was a hell yeah.
“It's going to be an awesome wedding, isn't it?” I teased, still admiring my shoes.
“Fucking better be!” Saffron did a twirl, but then her smile melted. “Yeah, it's going to be great. Just wish I could get my little brother to Reno without any problems.”
I swallowed, remembering what I'd heard about his Grizzlies activities. “I've seen how territorial these guys can be. Maybe he'll show up in a suit instead of his colors?”
Sardonic laughter shot out her lips. “Jordan hasn't worn anything except ratty t-shirts and leather since he was ten. Whatever. I kinda hope he doesn't show up at all. It'll just be more drama for me and the guys. My family begins and ends with the club now.”
I nodded. Her voice sounded hollow, not totally convincing. How shitty did it feel to have your only flesh and blood in a rival MC – and a very dangerous, brutal one too?
“Let's get out of here and grab some lunch,” she said, snapping my heels out of my hands. “It's on me. Least I can do for dragging you out here today.”
Smiling, I thanked her. Arguing with free stuff didn't seem wise when I was still living off Stinger's shelter and a little spending cash from my old job at the Filthy Crown.
We paid and headed out. We got halfway to Saffron's SUV when her phone pinged. She dropped the big bag from the store, swore, and began furiously texting back. I dove to pick our stuff up.
“What's going on?”
“We need to go right now,” she said, tucking her phone away and looking around. “Blaze wants to send somebody out for escort. Don't worry – I told him 'no.'”
My eyes widened. “Are we in trouble?”
“I...don't know. Something's up. I promised him we'd get back to the clubhouse ASAP. Come on!”
I stuffed our bag in the trunk and clambered inside the truck. Saffron peeled out fast, and soon we were on the main drag, racing to the other side of town and safety.
“Relax,” she said. “This kinda stuff happens all the time when the boys are on edge. Probably a false alarm. They're just protecting us.”
I felt a little safer in the SUV, but definitely not a hundred percent. She was about to cross a wide intersection when an old truck rolled out and stopped right in the middle of it, blocking our path.
“Shit!” Saffron hit the brakes.
Two blue cars pulled up, blocking traffic. Men jumped out and started banging on the windows. It took a couple seconds to realize they had hammers.
I screamed just as the glass exploded from both sides. Rough hands reached for the locks on the doors and ripped them open.
Saffron was too stunned to floor it. Wouldn't have done any good anyway with the rustbucket blocking our front. Rough hands yanked us out, pulling us in opposite directions at the same time, carrying me through the snow while I struggled like a mad woman. The creep holding me popped the door to the new vehicle and threw me in. I rolled into the mystery vehicle hard and found my face in some guy's jeans, stinking like tobacco.
“We got 'em. Yeah, Prez, both bitches. Let's fucking roll,” a man said in the driver's seat.
The whole world was upside down. I struggled to sit up and heard the man next to me laugh. He reached out, helping me at first, even though I tried to swat him away. Then he threw me against the door, clutching at my hair and giving it a rough pull.
“Slow down, darlin'. Wouldn't want to rip any of this pretty black hair out of your head. That's for later, if your Prairie Pussy studs don't come through.”
I finally had a good look at him. He was a grimy, nasty man with a long blonde hair, wearing the same SLINGERS MC cut as the man in the front. The man in the driver's seat saw me in the mirror and smiled, flashing jagged silver teeth I recognized.
It was Nero's VP, Shark, the man he'd left with on the night I was almost killed. “Hi, baby doll. Prez is gonna be real fucking happy to see you again. Don't worry. We're too fucking pissed off about losing a brother to your skank ass to kill you up front. We're gonna finish what Hatter and Wasp started.”
The man next to me yanked my hair, laughing through his busted teeth. “Fucking cunt. I want her asshole first...”
Blood rushed up to my temples. Savage urges boiled in my blood. I wanted to rake my nails over the demon's face, if it wouldn't get me brutalized.
They'd obviously taken us for some reason. My heart sank as I realized we'd just become the latest bargaining chips in their insane quest for my dad's old routes.
The car jerked into formation behind the other blue vehicle, and the old truck that cut off Saffron's was riding in the front. Behind us, two loud motorcycles roared, operated by more men in blood red Slingers' patches.
I swallowed, promising myself I wouldn't cry. I was too pissed, too determined to live this time. I wasn't giving up. Biting my lip hard drew blood.
The tangy, sharp taste of copper was comforting in a fucked up way. Unlike before, I wasn't scared for my life. Not entirely.
These assholes were too slow for their own good. They'd already made their mistakes. Stinger was coming, him and the rest of the club, and when they did the men in the car with me were all dead.
The crazy fog in my head was melting away. I looked at the brutes and their greedy, violent expressions slowly, finally starting to understand.
This shit-storm's end was in sight before it had truly gotten started.
Hell was going to catch up with them sooner or later. And when it did, I'd finally see just how dark, intense, and beautiful Devils' bloodlust could really be...
“Out.” The man in the backseat reached past me, popped the door, and pressed something hard into my spine.
I didn't shake as I slid my feet to the cold ground and crawled out. The wind was blowing snow off the little roof of the old cabin they'd parked next to – a crappy little house that looked like it hadn't been a home since wild pioneers roamed the mountains.
We were somewhere north of the city, right outside the Missoula limits, when the mou
ntains became high and wild. Somewhere in the nearby wilderness, the Devils hid the men who crossed them, monsters who deserved to die.
I hoped like hell they'd add a few more to their deep cold graves after today.
The man with the greasy long hair and his VP marched me out toward the rickety door. Inside, there was nothing but a couple ancient chairs and a worn wood table. Saffron was already there, her hands bundled behind her back in an old chair.
Several feet away, Nero stood with the other guys from the truck. He took a long pull on a cigarette, fixing his cold eyes on me. His gaze was harsh enough to freeze, so cold I wanted to shake instead of laugh at how cliché the nasty scene in front of me seemed.
“Tie this cunt down tight. She likes to struggle and hide. Isn't that right, Hatter?” Nero looked across the table to the corner.
The scrawny, mindless worm near the door laughed, rubbing his bony hands together while he stared at me.
Christ. If Nero's eyes were cold enough to start an ice age, then Hatter's lunatic hyena laugh pulled me beneath the frozen ice, echoing in my poor ears over and over and over.
Several Slingers forced my hands behind me and rolled a cord over them, making quick knots near the wrists, just like Saffron's. Her eyes met mine. They'd gagged her, stuffing what looked like a dirty old rag in her mouth.
Hot anger pulsed through my system. No, maybe they had to keep us safe while they waited for our club, but they'd certainly found more subtle ways to make our lives miserable.
“Got her,” greasy hair grunted behind me. “Tighter than what either of these whores got between their legs, I bet.”
Nero walked over, flicking his cigarette to the floor and stubbing it with one boot. He raised an arm and pointed at his guy.
“No gag. I want to hear this one's screams. Did anybody figure out which fuckwad is her old man?”
“The VP, I think,” Shark said. “Some turd named Stinger. Typical Prairie Pussy name.”
“We'll kill him first,” Nero growled. “Right in front of this bitch, just as soon as we've secured that fucking map.”
He looked at me just as Saffron began to whimper and struggle in her gag. Her body moved like she was frightened, but I could tell her eyes were full of pure hatred.
Nero came closer. He caught my chin, digging his fingers into my jaw bone, too tight for me to jerk away. Bastard.
I thought about biting him, but soon he was down at eye level, so close I could see all the scars sheared across his cheek. Adding one more scratch to his damaged face wouldn't do much more for us.
“Your daddy's the reason we lost one of our boys, and we're probably gonna lose a few more before this night's through. Only fair that you should suffer, bitch. I don't normally play with my prey before I kill it, but you've made yourself an exception. I'm gonna watch you lose your fucking mind before I slit your throat.”
Nero spat. He literally fucking spat in my face, and I was left staring at him while his gross, sticky spittle dripped off my forehead.
His words cut deep. I listened to Saffron struggling next to me and thought about Stinger.
His threats were monstrous, but they had a cold efficiency behind them too. They were so vicious, so pissed off, I worried about buying time. I couldn't just let them take us down the same slow, sneaky way they'd done to Dad.
Had to do something. I had to –
My brain flipped off and I kicked. Hard. Nero swerved, but not fast enough. My foot landed right between his balls and caught them in a sickening crunch.
He staggered backward and fell on his ass, slapping the floor with his fists, snarling and cursing. Slingers swarmed me in less than a second. Shark ripped my head back and pressed a cold knife to my throat.
I laughed, despite the uncomfortable lump in my neck pressing on sharp steel. I couldn't help it. The way things had come full circle was way too fucking crazy to process.
“Prez? You okay?” Boots clambered on the floor like someone was helping Nero up.
Then they stomped toward me, quick and deliberate. His breath was heavier now, struggling to contain the pain vibrating his bones. Shark looked like he was a hair trigger away from bleeding me out, especially when I grinned at him.
Fuck you, I thought. Do it now if you want to live, asshole. Do it before the club shows up and finishes what I started with your Prez.
“Just say the word,” Shark said coldly. “We can tell those fucks it had to be done. She fought us. There's no fucking prisoners of war here.”
“No!” Nero said, raising a hand, still slightly doubled over. “That'll fuck up everything. We need her alive. Just a couple more hours. We'll settle with this bitch later. Just get her fucking legs bound. Both these cunts. The Prairie Pussies are gonna show up any time now.”
We locked eyes while his henchman tied my feet to the rickety old chair. I refused to look away, even when he came close a second time, one hand on the dagger strapped to his waist.
“Enjoy your fucked up triumph now, cunt. Because when we get through with your guys, you're gonna wish you'd kicked my nuts a whole lot harder.” He drew his knife, anger flashing in his eyes while mine stayed fearless. “What I really want is to skin your ass myself, just as soon as Hatter's done with you.”
“Do it,” I grunted, hissing the words through clenched teeth.
He stared at me for a second, stroking his chin. “I got it now. Looks like I've been using the wrong fucking approach...”
He broke the iron gaze first. Thank God. My relief instantly melted when he walked away, circling Saffron instead. He jerked her head back by her brunette hair, running the flat edge of the knife up her neck instead.
Shit! I started to struggle, rocking in the chair without even realizing how stupid and hopeless it was. Crap quality or not, the old wood and the cords did their job, holding me in place.
“I know you don't give a fuck about your own life, babe. So I'm gonna tear hers up first. Right after we get done with your guys and that pissant named Stinger.” He turned the knife inward, baring his teeth as he raked it across her skin.
Saffron shrieked against her rag as hot blood danced along the blade. It slid down her throat, pooling near her breasts. Scary, but not enough to be life threatening.
Asshole was playing with us. Screwing with us both.
“Bastard!” I screamed, kicking as hard as I could against the new cords around my legs.
If I could've picked the chair up and thrown myself at him, I'd have done it in a heartbeat. The demon was right: watching Saffron's torture was far worse than him doing it to me.
Worse? It'd gone to pure crap across the board.
This was worse than being captured by the Rams, worse than the constant worry about what I'd gotten myself into. I wanted Stinger here so bad it hurt. I wanted him to put this sick brute down without a shred of mercy.
Nero stopped after he'd left a straight savage line across her cleavage, dangerously close to her throat. My whole face felt like it was going to explode, blood so hot I couldn't stand it. I rocked my hands until I hurt, fighting the rope, not caring how it scraped my wrists.
I had to stay alive. Focused. I couldn't let my mind shut down again, wiping everything out. I wouldn't let the amnesia return – even if I had to watch Saffron and others die in front of me.
I remembered Sting's face. I tried to remember my Dad, holding tight to all the memories, everything I had.
Just breathe. Breathe deep. No matter how bad it gets, you can't let your mind black out.
My thoughts weren't very reassuring. Nero growled as Shark walked over, getting a strong grip on his wrist.
“Prez? What the fuck? I thought we weren't gonna hurt these bitches 'til –“
“Fuck.” Nero reared up, staring at what he'd done. “Blot this shit up and rinse her off. It's not like she'll bleed out. Those fucks won't know shit and she won't tell them a fucking thing either.”
“What are you?” I whispered, forcing myself to look him in the ey
es.
My brain didn't want to compute the psycho death I was seeing, the walking murder this man represented.
Nero's expression was so cold it was hard to even see the evil. It was like looking into a predator's face, a thing running on pure instinct, beyond right and wrong. The freaks and ghouls I used to draw had more humanity than he did.
“I'm the President of this fucking club,” he said matter-of-factly. “Helluva lot better than being a weak little whore.”
He paced closer, pushing his face against mine. His breath stank and I twisted away, especially when he donned another twisted, emotionless smile.
“You think you're more than that, don't you?” He turned his head to Saffron. “Both you cunts. Listen to me: you sluts are fucking tools to me, and nothing more. Better get off your high horse, princess, before I whip its ass and you fall off and break your neck. None of this shit would be your problem if your daddy hadn't been so successful fucking people over.”
“You don't know shit.” My turn to spit in his face.
Nero stood tall, still wearing his crooked smile, slowly wiping his face. I closed my eyes, ready for him to whack me across the face. Getting knocked cold right now would've saved me from hearing Saffron whimpering next to me.
My soul bled for her.
“Suit yourself, cunt. It's not my job to make you repent for daddy's sins before this shit's done. And it'll be over before you know it.” He took several steps backward before turning to me again. “You really ought to take a good look at me. When we're through, I'm the only person in the world who's gonna remember your snotty ass. I'll think about the way you fucked me over, and how I fucked you back harder, every time we hit your daddy's routes. You're not a human being anymore, bitch. You're a means to an end, and a very temporary one too.”
I wasn't responding anymore. Even his men seemed to keep their distance. Guess the severe, strangely calm threats were too weird for them too.
I was too exhausted for more insults, half-blind with anger, trying not to go insane each time Saffron made a little noise. Insulting the asshole wouldn't do any good. Neither would rubbing my wrists and ankles raw. Houdini himself couldn't have escaped this crap.