by Harley Wylde
I finished up, washed my hands, and went out into the store, suddenly so thirsty it felt like I’d swallowed an entire desert. As much as I wanted a bottle of water, I didn’t have so much as a penny on me. Samurai noticed the direction of my gaze and led me over to the refrigerated cases.
“Get whatever you want,” he said.
“You’ve spent enough on me already.”
“And Titan will have my ass if you get dehydrated before I can get you safely back home. Now get something to drink. It’s no more than a few dollars, Delilah. It’s not going to bankrupt me.”
I picked out an ice-cold bottle of water and let him pay at the counter. I’d guzzled half of it before I even made it back to the truck. Samurai helped me into the driver’s seat and made sure I’d buckled before he shut the door. I locked it and waited for him to get on his bike. A black limo pulled into the lot, which struck me as odd for a rural area. I wondered if some teens had rented one for a special occasion, or maybe someone was celebrating.
I fiddled with the radio until I heard two shots. I jerked my head toward the window and saw Samurai on the ground, red spreading out around him. My brain didn’t want to process what it meant. I kept watching and waiting. He didn’t get up. My heart hammered in my chest and I fumbled with my seatbelt and the lock on the door. I nearly fell out of the truck as I hurried to his side.
His eyes were opened, his breathing labored. “Run.”
I barely heard him, but the word was enough to make fear spike through me. Run? I looked around and saw two large men heading for me out of the shadows. I took off toward the truck. Just as my fingers brushed the door, one of them grabbed my hair and yanked me off my feet.
“Not so fast, little bitch. The boss has plans for you.”
I fell to the ground, the concrete bruising my knees. I wrapped an arm around my stomach, trying to protect my baby. Whatever these men had planned for me, it couldn’t be good. They didn’t seem to care if they hurt me. And they’d shot Samurai! I glanced his way, hoping he was okay. His eyes had slid shut and he looked far too pale. I saw the clerk in the store on the phone. Maybe an ambulance would arrive in time to save him.
I heard sirens in the distance, and so did the men. One hauled me up, holding my arm with a tight grip. He dragged me to the limo and shoved me into the backseat before following me in. Did these idiots not realize a car like this would stick out in a small town? I only hoped it made the car easier to track. Another man was already inside. He started wrapping a rope around my wrists, and another around my ankles.
“Be a good girl and you’ll be okay,” he said. “Boss needs you in good shape for what he has planned.”
My stomach soured. That didn’t sound remotely good.
“Wait. I… I’ll go with you and I won’t fight, just… Could you please get Samurai some help? He was only protecting me.”
“Fuck the biker,” one of them said.
The car pulled forward and I fell back against the seats. The water I’d had threatened to come back up. I tried to make myself as small as possible, not wanting to touch them. One sat on either side of me, and another across on the opposite seat. None of them seemed to pay the least bit of attention to me.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“To your husband,” said the man on my left.
My husband? I didn’t think Titan had sent these men, which meant… My grandfather had sent them. Samurai was right. I’d been so stupid to leave the compound. I hadn’t planned to get out of the truck, but I still shouldn’t have left the safety of the fenced property. If I hadn’t, I’d be safe right now, and so would Samurai.
Tears blurred my vision as I thought about him bleeding out in the parking lot. All because he’d wanted me to go back home safely to Titan. I’d messed up everything! And now I was going to be handed off to some stranger who wanted what? A wife? I doubted it. No, powerful men didn’t have to buy their wives. Women flocked to them. Even if they were ugly, there were plenty of ladies who wanted them for their money alone. I just wasn’t one of them.
“No more questions?” one of them asked.
The one on my right slid his hand up my thigh and gave it a squeeze. I fought not to flinch. “Maybe he won’t mind if we have a little fun on the way there.”
“Since those filthy bikers touched her, I don’t see why it would matter,” said the one across from me.
“Shut it, both of you.” I glanced at the one who hadn’t gotten out of the car earlier. “You really think the boss is going to want your paws all over her? Much less your cum inside her? We’re getting paid for a job and we’ll damn well do it.”
I might not like any of these monsters, but at least one of them seemed reasonable. If they kept their hands off me, maybe it would give Titan time to figure out where I was. I didn’t know how but I could hope. I didn’t have a phone with me, so he couldn’t track me that way. Now that I wasn’t in Griffin’s truck, they couldn’t even call On-Star to find my location. I was well and truly screwed, which meant I had to find a way out of this on my own.
I needed to be brave.
Bravery was the last thing I was feeling. Scared. No, not just scared. I was terrified. If Titan didn’t find me, what hell awaited me? Whatever man had paid for me would probably be pissed when he realized I was not only married but pregnant too. Would he force a miscarriage? Or use my child in some horrible way?
Bile rose in my throat and I whimpered, frantically trying to reach the window.
“Jesus. I think she’s going to throw up. Pull over!” The man to my left banged his fist against the roof, then cut through the ropes binding me. The moment the limo came to a stop, the man opened the door and I scrambled out. My knees hit the side of the road and I immediately lost every bit of food and drink I’d had tonight.
I heard the men complaining but didn’t pay them much attention. My hands shook and tears streaked my cheeks. The man who seemed the least scary dropped to his haunches next to me.
“Anything I need to know?” he asked, his voice low enough the others wouldn’t hear.
I sought his gaze and what I saw shocked me. Compassion.
He looked down and noticed the ring on my finger. He lightly touched it and heaved a sigh. “Well, this is a mess. You’re not just married, are you? Pregnant too?”
I nodded. He started binding my wrists again, killing what little hope I’d dared to feel.
“I take it Montcliff didn’t know. How did you get yourself into this predicament?”
“He’s my grandfather. He tried to sell my mother when she was younger, but she escaped him. Now he’s after me and I don’t know why. Please. Let me go back to my husband.”
“I would if I could. My hands are just as tied as yours.” Darkness entered his eyes. “He’s responsible for my daughter going missing. I can’t prove it, but I’m almost certain. If I screw this up, I lose my leverage.”
“Would your daughter want you to sacrifice other people in order to find her?” I asked. “Just… if you can’t let me go, find a way to let my husband know where I am. He’s the President of Hades Abyss.”
“Fuck. Montcliff screwed up this time for sure.” The man shook his head. “Look, my name’s Luther. I’ll do what I can, but those other two? They’re a different matter.”
“I understand,” I said.
“Eddie and Mike play by their own rules. Don’t forget it. If they get you alone, they’ll take what they want. And they’ll get off on you fighting back.”
My stomach knotted and I felt the burn in the back of my throat before I threw up again. There wasn’t much left and soon I was dry heaving. By the time I got back to my feet, the reality of my situation pressed down on me. Luther couldn’t let me go, and the two monsters in the car would rape me the first chance they got.
Even if they didn’t, whatever man had paid for me certainly would. Because I’d never give in willingly. The only man I’d ever wanted was Titan. The thought of anyone else touching me made
my skin crawl.
“I just want to go home,” I said softly.
“Come on, girl,” Luther said, taking my arm and putting me back into the car. “Time to go.”
Whatever happened, I wouldn’t break. I wouldn’t give in.
Chapter Eleven
Titan
Things had gotten out of hand. I could admit it. Griffin rubbed me the wrong way. Then there was Lance and Gwen. I thought we’d won them over, but the more Griffin talked, the less certain they seemed. And I’d done the unforgiveable. I’d pushed Delilah away and yelled at her. Now I couldn’t fucking find her.
“Where could she have gone?” I asked.
“She stole my truck,” Griffin said, his jaw jutting out like a petulant child. “I should call the police.”
Lance pulled his phone from his pocket. “First off, I bought you that truck. Second, you’re not sending the police after your sister. She probably just needed to get away for a minute. We have On-Star on that vehicle. I’ll call and see where it is right now.”
While Lance took care of that, I shot off a text to Cache, knowing it was his turn to be on the gate. Delilah is gone. Took her brother’s truck.
Cache texted back immediately. Hung a right and hit the highway. Didn’t know it was your woman.
Shit. I rubbed the back of my neck. I should have known better than to let everything escalate. I was pissed at myself for letting it happen and pissed at her for leaving the compound knowing it wasn’t safe out there. If I got her back in one piece, I might very well tie her ass to the bed for a month.
My phone rang with a number I didn’t recognize. I answered, not knowing what to expect. “Titan.”
“This is Deputy Hale. Got a man at the hospital by the name of Samurai. He’s not one of yours, but before he passed out he said your name.”
I remembered Hale. I’d dealt with him a few times in the past. And Samurai was one of the men from the Devil’s Boneyard. If he was in the hospital, did it mean he’d followed Delilah? If so, where the hell was she?
“He’s visiting from another club. What happened?”
“Shot twice and left to bleed out. He’s currently in surgery. Not sure who you need to notify. Clerk inside the store said there was a young woman with him. Some men grabbed her and took off. He got a partial plate on the black limo and we’re running it now,” Deputy Hale said.
“Thanks. I’ll touch base with Samurai’s club. The woman is my wife. If you get any updates on her whereabouts…”
“I’ll be sure to let you know.”
I disconnected the call and squeezed the phone so tight I nearly cracked it. They’d found Delilah and I could only imagine how scared she had to be. I looked over at Lance as he hung up his call.
“They said the truck is at a gas station. I’ve got the address,” he said.
“Won’t do any good. She’s not there.” I reached into my pocket intending to grab my cigarettes, forgetting for a moment I’d been trying to quit and didn’t have any. “Samurai followed her. He’s been shot and Delilah was taken by some men in a limo. The sheriff’s department is looking into it and said the clerk gave them a partial plate.”
Lance cursed. “So what do we do now?”
“We either find her first, or the law will handle it. I don’t know about you, but I want anyone responsible to suffer. They so much as bruise her, and I will fucking end them.”
Lance nodded. “All right. Any ideas on how to find them before the police do?”
“One.” I called Wizard. The phone rang several times before he answered.
“Wizard.”
“It’s Titan. I’m going to text you an address. Delilah took Griffin’s truck to the gas station at that location. Someone snatched her from the parking lot, and they shot Samurai. My next call is to Charming, but I need you to find the men in the limo before the police do.”
“On it, Pres.”
He hung up and I got the address from Lance, texting it over to him. If there were any surveillance cameras in the area, I knew he’d hack them and try to locate the owner of the limo. I also knew he could access any cameras between here and wherever the limo was going, so there was a chance he could track its progress. Assuming they got near any other spots with video.
My phone rang again, with yet another number I didn’t know.
“Titan.”
“I need you to listen. I only have a second.” I didn’t recognize the man’s voice, but I kept quiet to see what he had to say. “Your wife is being taken to New Orleans. That’s all I can say. Don’t call this number.”
The line went dead, and I stared at the phone. How did that man know where Delilah was going? Was he there with her? Or had he merely seen her? I had more questions than answers, which pissed me off, but at least I had a destination. Assuming the guy hadn’t outright lied to me.
There’d been a club down that way called the Broken Bastards, and I’d known their President. Also knew the guy had gone to prison and taken a shiv to the back. First, I needed to give the Devil’s Boneyard an update. I scrolled through the contacts on my phone until I found what I was looking for. Then I shot off a text to Charming.
Samurai was shot. In surgery.
I had no doubt I’d get an earful about not calling with that shit, but I needed to talk to the Broken Bastards VP immediately. Assuming Breaker still was the VP. After the Pres had gone to prison, and been killed, I had no doubt the club had been restructured a bit. I found Breaker’s name in my phone and hit the call button.
“Titan?” the man asked when he answered. “What the fuck? I haven’t heard from you in years.”
“Got a problem, Breaker. I was hoping your club might be willing to help. Didn’t know who was the Pres down there now.”
“Wrecker is the Pres now. I’m still VP. After Flame was taken out in prison, we cleaned house a bit. Found out we had a few rats. Got some new blood, and other than me, all new officers.”
“You didn’t want to be Pres?” I asked.
“Fuck no. I deal with enough shit already.” Breaker laughed. “So what can we help with? This a paying gig, or a favor type of thing?”
“Claimed a woman. She’s my wife now, and she’s pregnant. Some asshole grabbed her, and I heard he’s heading for New Orleans. Think she’s been sold to someone down there. Need eyes on her.”
“Fuck. Damn, Titan. That’s just… Shit, yeah, we’re all over that. Send me a photo and I’ll have the club keep an eye out for her. Any clue who might have bought her?”
“I’ll see if Wizard knows anything. You got any hackers down there?”
Breaker snorted. “No. My boys might be smart and cunning, but most of them aren’t too great when it comes to computers.”
“If Wizard needs help, there are plenty of guys to lend a hand. Give me a call if you see her. I’m going to head that way soon as I can gather some brothers.”
He promised to keep me posted and we ended the call. Lance was glaring at me and I realized I hadn’t shared the little tidbit about Delilah going to New Orleans. He had every right to be pissed, but the more time I spent explaining everything, the longer it would take to get down there.
I sent an update to Wizard. Got a call. Says Delilah is going to New Orleans.
Wizard answered almost immediately. I’ll check cameras heading that way.
Maybe he’d have something for me before I left. I would hate to follow this lead only to discover it was total bullshit and Delilah was nowhere near New Orleans.
“I’m going,” Lance said.
“Good. That means I can take my bike since you’ll have your truck. Delilah shouldn’t ride with me while she’s pregnant. Don’t want to take any chances with her or the baby.” I cracked my neck. “I need to call Church and fill in the club on what’s going on. Then select a few to ride with me down to New Orleans.”
“Gwen will want to go. And Griffin.”
“No offense, but your son isn’t fucking going. If he hadn’t spouted off an
d run his damn mouth, Delilah would still be here. Safe. He’s lucky I don’t put him in the ground. And your wife would only slow us down.”
Lance looked like he wanted to argue, but he finally nodded his agreement and went off to talk to his family. I sent out a mass text to every member in the club. Church in ten.
Before I went to the clubhouse, I went to the bedroom and gathered a change of clothes for Delilah, as well as a pair of her shoes. Barney pawed my ankle. I’d forgotten all about him with all the chaos around me. I knelt down and scratched his ear.
“I’m going to bring her home, buddy.”
He whined and licked my hand. I knew he’d be a comfort to Delilah when I found her and wondered how Lance would feel about a dog riding in his truck. It was only about two and a half hours to New Orleans. Barney wouldn’t be too much trouble on that short of a ride.
I finished putting Delilah’s things into a duffle, along with two changes of clothes for me. When I was finished, I went downstairs and tossed the bag to Lance. Gwen and Griffin were off to the side, both looking pissed as hell, but I didn’t fucking care. I walked out with Barney at my heels.
“Delilah loves the dog. Can he ride with you?” I asked Lance as he stepped out of the house.
“Guess so. But you’re vacuuming my truck when we get back.”
I helped Barney into the vehicle. He whined when I didn’t get into the truck too. After scratching behind his ear, I shut the door and got on my bike. I still had to let the club know what the hell was going on and leave Boomer in charge. The line of bikes outside the clubhouse said I was the last to arrive. I walked through the main area to the back and into Church.
“You’re late to your own meeting,” Boomer said with a smirk.