by Marissa Ann
“If that is true Mina, I will make sure that you die right next to me where you belong.” He looks around the sparse room before his eyes return to me. “This will be our room tonight. Are there enough blankets on the bed?”
“Josh, I will not willingly sleep in this room with you.”
“You won’t have a choice Mina. Tonight, I take what should have always been mine. I’ll be back in a little while. I need to check on everything before bed.” He says as he walks out of the door.
This man has lost all his marbles! I think to myself. There is no way I will submit to him. He will have to kill me first. I plan to fight!!
****
Timber
By the time we reach the clubhouse, Snake has all the information we need on the location where Mina and Bella were taken to. It looks like a lot of old abandoned buildings and the newest satellite images show only a hand full of vehicles there at any given time over the past couple weeks.
“I don’t think these are the assholes kidnapping girls.” Blade says while looking over my shoulder.
“I don’t think it is either but let’s be sure we clear all the buildings from top to bottom. I want to make sure we don’t overlook anything that might possibly help to find them as well.” I say to all the men gathered around me.
“I will double check to be sure who the enemy is before I light anything up.” Spark comments.
“Please do because I don’t want an episode like last time where I almost lost the family jewels.” Laughs Reaper, while cupping said jewels.
“We all know the only family jewel in this family is Mina. We definitely don’t need any mini Reapers running around. No telling who’d they kill off in preschool!”
After everyone has a little laugh at the banter between the brothers, everyone seems to get more serious and begins to strap up with weapons. Spark seems to have a lot of homemade explosives. I have absolutely no idea how he rigged them up so quickly.
I’ve heard a lot of rumors about the brothers over the years. They are known to be extremely dangerous and deadly. It’s told that Spark likes to watch grown men as he blows them up with his homemade bombs but not before he watches their faces melt from the acid he always seems to have at hand.
As for Reaper, it is said that he is an expert at skinning a man alive and then torturing them, if they are still alive to be tortured, by slowly dripping alcohol on the exposed meat.
Not that I am judging them. I know exactly what I am known for and this asshole Josh will find out exactly what that is before the life leaves his eyes.
“Are we ready to ride?” I ask looking around at the group of men dressed for battle. Everyone nods as we head towards our bikes.
I can’t stop to think about what Mina might have already suffered or is currently suffering. It will make me act reckless and I can’t afford to be reckless with her life. All I want in my head at the moment are thoughts of destroying every man found in those abandoned buildings. They will all die, that is a certainty.
“Let’s ride!” I yell to all the men as we start all the bikes at once.
****
Mina
An hour passes as I wait to see what Josh will do next or hopefully be saved from this nightmare. No one will tell me where Bella is or even if she is close by. I don’t even know if she is located in this building. I can only hear some of the men talking as they come close to my door otherwise I can’t hear anything outside of this room.
I am in the middle of trying this small window that I know that not even I can fit through when the door behind me opens.
“There’s no need to be scared of our wedding night Little Fairy.” Josh says when he sees me trying the window.
“We aren’t married you stupid sick bastard. What the hell are you even talking about?”
“We were bound together in blood that night. Don’t you remember?”
As I give him what I know is a horrified stare, he shrugs his shoulders.
“I might have hit your head too hard on the table. But it doesn’t matter. All that matters is we were bound by blood in the old rituals passed down through my family from New Orleans.”
“Dear God, you really are off your rocker aren’t you? You need some serious help Josh. I don’t know what I thought I ever saw in you. I do know that it damn sure wasn’t love. We are NOT married. You will have to kill me tonight because I will not willingly submit to you.” I say more calmly than I feel. It’s as if I am truly tired and just ready for fate to take over, wherever that may lead.
He stares at me for a few minutes and then quicker than I can blink, he is on me. I get one good hit into his face before he hits me in the temple and my vision goes dark. I can feel him drag me to the bed and begin to tie me down. The whole time he is rubbing his body against mine like a sick fucking cat and all I want to do is throw up.
“You can’t get a willing woman so you resort to tying one up. Bless your heart.” I mumble through the swelling of my lips just before he hits me again. Right when I feel him start to mess with my jeans, there’s a loud boom and the room starts to shake.
“Mother fucker!!” screams Josh as he jumps up and runs out of the door.
I’m left alone at last. I don’t know what that sound was but I am really hoping that it was my brother Spark. He certainly loves to blow shit up.
I try to get my hands loose and I can feel the ropes biting into my wrists. I can hear gunshots outside and more load booms that seem to be getting closer to where I am. If it’s Timber and my brothers out there, I pray that they also find poor Bella.
****
Timber
We cut the engines about a mile before the abandoned buildings so that we won’t be heard and walk the rest of the way in. We can tell that there isn’t much for security around the place. The two that were supposed to be guards we took out very easily with a slit to the throat.
“Spark, go do what you do. Everyone else, spread out, check buildings as you go and take out every mother fucker you come across. Except that fucker Josh, I want him alive to suffer the fate he has coming to him.” I tell the men as we set out to find the girls.
Blade stays right next to me as we clear buildings and take out the trash. I can feel his anxiety and anger over Bella as we go.
“Don’t worry Blade, we will find her.”
“I really hope so Timber. I can’t lose her without her ever knowing what she means to me. I never got a chance to tell her.”
“Don’t worry; you’ll get your chance.”
We hear the first of Spark’s bombs go off and then all hell breaks lose with the gunfire all around us. I take out about four more of the bastards before I spot a building that wasn’t on the aerial photos we got from Snake.
“Blade, that building back there wasn’t on our Intel. I bet that is exactly where we will find the girls and Josh too.”
“Let’s go. But you might want to call it in over to Spark and Reaper so they can make their way over there as well.” He says as we hunker down behind some shipping containers.
“Spark, there’s a building in the very back that didn’t show up in our aerials. I’m betting that is where we will find them.”
“I can see it from here. We will meet you there in less than two minutes.” He replies back over the radio.
“They will meet us at the door. Let’s go.” I say to Blade.
As we come up to the building on one side, Reaper and Spark come up from the other.
“I think our men have taken out most of the fuckers out here.” Reaper says.
“Good. One thing before we go in here. I know that you want your vengeance on this fucker for what he’s done. She’s your sister but she is also my ole lady. You can get your turn at him but keep him alive because I get to end the life that is left.” I say to them both. They finally nod their heads at me and we head into the building.
The first door opens up into a larger room and right in the middle we see Josh. He is sitting in the middle of a pattern on the floor t
hat looks like it was drawn with blood and he’s chanting a bunch of words that I can’t make out. He is completely naked as he picks up a bottle and begins to pour what’s inside on himself.
“What the fuck?” Reaper says as we all watch the crazy bastard in the middle of the room.
“You are too late now. I have taken my brides.” Josh calmly states when he finally looks up and notices us.
“Where are the girls?” I ask him.
“Around.” He answers as he begins to laugh in a maniacal way.
“Blade, check the rooms on the right. Reaper and I will check on the left while Spark keeps an eye on this crazy fuck.”
The first couple rooms are completely empty. Its when Reaper opens the fourth door that my heart speeds up at the sight in front of me. On a table in the middle of the room is a completely naked Bella. She is covered in blood and bruise.
“Oh fuck! BLADE!!” I scream as I run over to check her pulse.
Blade rushes in behind me as I am covering her with an old sheet I found in the floor.
“Mother fuck! What the hell did he do to her?”
“I don’t know but she does still have a pulse. Get a cage and get her to the hospital. Also call Officer Wilson. We’ll need his help if any questions are asked at the hospital.” Reaper and I watch as Blade carries the woman he loves from the room.
“Reaper, let’s get the rest of the rooms checked.” I can tell that he has the same fears as I do at the moment about Mina.
After a complete search of the building, we still hadn’t found Mina. Reaper and Spark had already began beating on Josh trying to get the fucker to break and tell us where he has her locked up. It doesn’t seem to be working as the more punches they delivered; the more laughter seems to be the only thing coming out of his mouth.
All the other guys that were sweeping the rest of the compound had started to trickle in from outside to watch the beating.
“Enough! I want everyone to spread out and do another search. Do it quietly while everyone yells her name. Hopefully she’ll hear one of us and yell back so that we can find her. She has to be here somewhere. Now find my woman damn it!” I tell all the guys as my anger and anxiety begins to take over. I’m more than ready to snap this bastard’s neck but not before I find my girl.
Everyone spreads out quickly and quietly as I asked them to do. Every so often you can hear one of them call Mina’s name. This goes on for more than thirty minutes before one of the brother’s on the far side of the compound sends word that he heard something through a door that looks like it leads to a basement. I get over there quickly and as I am walking up he tells me that the door was so well hidden, it must have been overlooked by whoever swept the area.
“Looks like the lock may be rigged with an explosive. That is your expertise Spark. Come see what you can do with it.”
“Yeah, I’ll have this off in 2 minutes.” Spark replies.
I stand behind him as patiently as I can and true to his word, in less than 2 minutes the door is open.
I slowly push the door open and there, tied on the bed is my girl. Other than a few bruises to her face, she appears to be okay.
“Mina!” I say, crossing the room to her.
“Thank God Timber. I didn’t know if y’all would make it in time. Please tell me y’all found Bella in this hell hole? I haven’t seen her and he wouldn’t tell me where she was.”
“We found her baby, stop worrying. Blade took her to the hospital. She was breathing but she looked like she was in pretty bad shape.” I answer as I untie her from the ropes and she jumps into my arms.
“Let’s go have you checked out at the hospital my Little Fairy. We will check on Bella while we are there.”
As we walk out, I give orders for the crazy bastard to be taken to our basement at the clubhouse. The guys and I will deal with him later.
Chapter 12
Mina
“We’ve been here for over an hour Timber, I need to go check on Bella!”
I was beginning to get frustrated with Timber and the Doctor. They refuse to let me out of the room until every test they could possibly think of is run.
“We will check on Bella as soon as the Doctor comes back with your results! You heard him say that the bones in your cheek under your eye could possibly be fractured. Can’t you just understand that we need to be sure that you are okay first?” He says with a sigh in his voice.
I completely understand where he’s coming from but damn it, I have been poked and prodded the entire hour I have been here. The most they have found of course is the bones in my cheek, which is exactly the only place I told them that I could possibly be hurt at.
“Honey, can you at least stick your head out the door and yell at them to get a move on?” I say as I start to bat my eyes at him. I’m sure I look ridiculous as one of my eyes is swollen shut.
He shakes his head at me with a smile, “Sure baby. I’ll intimidate the nurses and see what is going on.”
He heads out of the room and I hear him talking to the nurses that are at their desks in the hall. I could try to make a break for it but I know that I won’t get very far. There’s no way that Timber wouldn’t see me leave this room. Besides, I am pretty sure that my brothers are out there somewhere as well.
“Boy, being surrounded by a bunch of boys can suck sometimes.” I whisper to myself.
“I heard that.” Timber says as he walks back into the room.
“Did you find out anything?”
“Yes, there doesn’t seem to be any fractures, just badly bruised. They wrote you a couple prescriptions for pain and swelling.”
“Can we go find out about Bella now?”
“Yes sweetheart, come on. Blade sent me a message saying they are in a room down the hall.”
I quickly follow Timber out of the room. If I had stepped outside in the hall, I would have known which room Bella was in by the pissed off Blade standing outside the door. It looks like my best friend may have thrown him out of the room and barred him entry.
“Go ahead in with Bella, I’m going to talk to Blade for a few minutes.” Timber says as he kisses my cheek and opens the door for me.
I am not prepared for the sight that is in front of me as I walk into the room. My eyes immediately fill with tears and I watch her turn towards the sound of my footsteps coming towards her.
“No need to cry Mina. I’ll survive. It’s just a lot of bruising and I lost a lot of blood. At least I’m awake now. Is Blade still in the hall?” she asks.
“Yes and he looks like he’s in hell. Did you throw him out of the room?”
“Yes, I did and I don’t want to talk about it.”
“We don’t have to talk about it right now. What did the doctor say?”
“He said I’d be in here for a day or two for observation, then he’d let me go home.”
I can tell from the way she’s avoiding eye contact that she isn’t telling me something but I don’t want to push her right now. I take a chair next to her bed so that I can hold her hand. Whatever she is not telling me, I can clearly see is hurting her very badly. It’s not physical but something deeply emotional.
****
Timber
“What’s going on man? Why are you out here in the hall instead of with Bella?” I ask Blade as soon as the door shuts behind Mina.
“I don’t want to talk about it right now.” He says through clenched teeth. “That mother fucker in the basement?” He asks with fire in his eyes.
“Yeah, the other brothers took him there while I brought Mina to the hospital.”
“How is she anyway? I mean I know I just seen her but how’s that bruise on her cheek?”
“Doc said it was just a deep bruise and would heal completely. She got lucky.”
“Yeah, she did.” He says as he stares off down the hall for a minute. “I get my shot with that bastard, you understand?”
“Perfectly brother, I understand perfectly.” I say as I look him directly in the eyes
. “What does the doc say about Bella?”
“She’ll heal. You think Mina would stay with her while we head back to the club to take care of shit?” I can see the rage that he is just barely holding inside.
“Yeah brother, I want the shit taken care of before the girls leave the hospital. Let me tell Mina where we are going and we can head out. You want to say bye to Bella?” I ask as I start to open the door.
“Nah, she doesn’t want me in the room right now.” He says on a sigh. “But no worries, once this is dealt with, she will definitely be seeing a lot of me. She just needs to get used to the idea.” He says as he heads down the hall. I guess he will get around to telling me what is going on eventually.
When I walk into the hospital room, Bella is sleeping and Mina is just sitting in the chair watching her. I lean down to whisper to her so that I don’t wake up Bella.
“Baby, me and the boys got to go take care of a few things. We may be gone a few hours. Can you stay with Bella until we get back?”
“Yeah honey. I think there’s more going on with her than just all of this anyway. I want to be here for her in case she wants to talk about it.”
“I got that same feeling from Blade a few minutes ago out in the hall.”
“He tell you anything?”
“Not a word but it’ll all work out eventually.”
“You’re right.” She reaches up and kisses me on the cheek and looks right in my eyes. “Be careful honey, okay?”
“You know it babe. I love you, ya know?” I say to her for the first time. I know that I should have already let her know how I felt about her. I’m not always upfront in my feelings like a woman needs from a man.
“I know you do. I love you completely too.” She says back and I can’t stop myself from giving her a deep kiss that says everything.
****
We get back to the clubhouse about forty five minutes after leaving the hospital. Officer Wilson had to talk to me before we could leave so that we had the story straight on what happened out at the warehouses. I head straight towards the basement with the rest of the guys.