by KJ Dahlen
Leaves stuck to the man’s cheek and forehead where a blood trail obscured half of his face.
They briefly studied the wound Viktor gave him. A shot directly between the eyes.
Adrik glanced at Ivan and they both turned to look at Viktor. They couldn’t believe he’d made that shot. They hadn’t heard or seen any threat. Ivan motioned with his head toward the woods and Adrik grabbed one of the dead man’s shoulders while Ivan grabbed the other. Together, they began dragging the body deeper into the woods.
They were gone for about fifteen minutes and when they returned, they nodded to Viktor.
Together, they all walked back to the vehicles and found Deter standing guard over the women. When he saw his team, he relaxed and holstered his weapon. “It’s done then?” he asked Viktor.
“Da, it is done. They are all dead.”
“Good, can we get out of here then?” Deter asked. He held up his police scanner and they could all here someone speaking on the other end. “The police are getting calls from the locals. Apparently, they all noticed the smoke from the explosion.”
Viktor went to the back of his vehicle and began unloading his weapons. Only taking the basics off, he got behind the wheel. Frankie and Galen were in the backseat and Deter in the passenger seat.
Viktor pulled out and traveled back to the main highway. When he looked to the right, he could hear the police sirens but they were still too far away to be seen. He turned left and got away from the dirt road. All four vehicles were far enough away when the police cars begun swinging into the dirt road.
“Tell me about the Sheriff,” Viktor demanded as he peeked into the rear view mirror at the girls. “We have heard rumors he could be in league with the MC. Is that true?”
“Yes, it’s true.” Galen whispered. “His name is Marty Baker and he’s Snake’s first cousin.”
“Do you know Snake’s first name?” Deter asked.
Galen shook her head. “I didn’t want to know anything about him. He was just nasty. The whole group was.” She hung her head and sobbed quietly.
“Boss, I haven’t had time to tell you everything I found when I found her in that building,” Deter began. “She was in one of the side rooms. The door was locked and bolted from the outside.”
Viktor caught Frankie’s eyes in the rear view mirror and it was a little disconcerting that she was staring back at him. Without looking at his teammate he asked, “What else did you find?”
Deter sighed with disgust. “The main room was filled with large dog cages. That’s where they kept the women and children they ran through there I assume.”
“How many cages?” Viktor growled.
“Twenty.”
Viktor’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. He couldn’t stop the rage growing in his soul. For a brief moment, he felt glad this MC was gone. Although knowing Tegan Averin, it would be only a moment’s distraction as he searched for another venue to reset his business adventures with. Viktor controlled his fury and tamped down all his emotions. He would remain focused and carry this task out. He would follow the creed while doing so.
They drove for a while, taking back roads and making it impossible to keep up with them in case they had someone following them. He didn’t think anyone was trailing them but he wasn’t taking any chances either.
Finally, he stopped just outside of Baton Rouge. It was later in the afternoon by this time. This was the second stop on their path and they were ahead of their schedule.
By the time they checked into their out of the way cabin, they were more than ready to hear about the MC they had just sent to hell.
~*~
With a wince, Frankie climbed out of the backseat of the vehicle and stretched her sore muscles. She held her sister’s hand in hers and never wanted to let it go. When Galen went missing three months ago, Frankie had been frantic to find her.
Galen wrapped her arms around her sister when Frankie swayed due to being dizzy. The blow to her head was getting better but she was still weak from what happened this morning. Her throat still felt on fire and she’d tried to speak but no sound would come out. At this point, she didn’t know if she would ever speak again.
By the time they followed this Viktor and the rest of the men inside the large cabin, her head was pounding and her stomach was starting to roil. She made her way to the nearest sofa and laid down. Covering her head, she prayed the pain would subside soon.
She felt someone sit down next to her and she hoped it was her sister. It wasn’t. She felt a man’s steel like arms gather her up and turn her to lie in his lap. She fit herself into a better position and laid the unhurt side of her head against his chest. The sound of his heartbeat soothed her and at some point, Frankie was able to fall sleep.
~*~
Viktor glanced down at the sleeping woman on his lap and smiled slightly. She fit his body perfectly. No other woman he’d ever held fit so well. He looked over at Galen and found her looking afraid.
Deter handed her a glass of water and knelt beside her.
Viktor sighed hard and knew it was time to get some answers. He carefully laid Frankie out on the sofa and covered her with an afghan that hung over the arm of the couch. Then he got to his feet and went over to the table where Galen sat.
Sitting down next to her, he noted his men hovered nearby. Viktor cleared his throat and began questioning her, “So how were you taken by this group, and where were you abducted from?”
Galen glanced over at Frankie and wet her lips. Looking back at Viktor, she began her story, “Frankie and I were meeting in Shreveport for our birthday. I live and work in Dallas and she is going to school in Shreveport. We always spend our birthdays together no matter where we are.”
“Who’s birthday was it?” Deter looked puzzled.
“Both of ours,” Galen stated.
“Both of you?” Viktor asked as his brows rose.
Galen nodded. “We’re twins.”
Viktor blinked his eyes at this. “You’re twins? How can that be?”
Galen chuckled softly. “Most people ask us that. We’re as different as night and day aren’t we? But we are twins. Our birthday is July 11th. I was already at her house, sitting on her front porch waiting for her to show up from class when there was a fender bender on the street almost right in front of the house. I went to see if I could help when I was grabbed from behind and shoved into a van that stopped behind the vehicles that crashed. They raced away rather quickly, while I was still struggling with the man who shoved me in there. He struck me and I blacked out briefly. When I came to, I was in a large warehouse. They had me tied up and gagged me. That man Manuel, he was looking at me like I was a piece of meat. He pulled his phone out and took my picture. Then he made a phone call and after he got finished, he hung a tag around my neck. They held me for three days in that place. Then I was loaded up into a truck and driven to the clubhouse. I remained tied up and they blindfolded me for the trip.” She began worrying her hands and wringing them until her skin looked red from it. “One of the girls began screaming, kicking and causing a ruckus, so they stopped the truck at a truck stop. Then they came into the back and began giving everyone a shot. The shot put us out like a light and when I woke up... I was at the clubhouse.”
“Did the bikers mistreat any of you?” Deter asked with narrowed eyes.
Galen shook her head. “No they didn’t touch any of us. The other girls weren’t in the compound long enough to make a difference. They were taken out after three days. I’m not sure why they didn’t ship me out with the others or how Frankie found me but I had all but given up on ever getting out of there. I thought I was going to die in there.” She looked over at her sister resting on the sofa. “I-is she going to b-be all right?”
Viktor sighed. “I don’t know. They hit her on the head with something harder than a fist and when she was down, they tried to strangle her. That’s why she can’t speak. There is some damage to her throat. How much we don’t know yet.”
“Oh
God... Frankie,” Galen whispered. “You have to be okay. I didn’t go through hell to lose you now. You were the one that kept me going.”
The men in the room turned to view the woman sleeping on the sofa.
Her face looked swollen and bruised as she rested on the cushions.
Viktor watched carefully while her chest rose and fell as she took in the life giving oxygen she needed in order to breathe.
He again, searched her face, noting in detail all the planes and features he could see. Her skin looking pale against her dark hair where it wasn’t bruised and he thought of those unique eyes, the strength he saw in them, despite her weakened state. Someone had tried to kill her. He felt certain they had left her for dead in fact. When he first found her, he thought he’d been too late to save her. Between the dried blood on her skin and what was matted in her hair, plus the bruises on her neck... he really thought she was dead but God had spared her life.
He didn’t even ask himself why but he knew one thing, she belonged to him. Even if she didn’t know it yet, she belonged to him. He turned to Galen and had to ask, “How old were in July?”
“We turned twenty three, why?”
“Just wondering,” he stated quietly as he turned to face his woman again. “Just wondering...” he whispered. That is old enough.
Chapter Five
When Frankie opened her eyes, she was bathed in warmth. When she’d closed her eyes while lying on that couch, she had been frozen and now she was warm again. It was dark in the bedroom she found herself in and the mattress she was lying on felt so good.
Then she stilled when someone directly behind her moved and she realized she was wrapped up in a man’s arms. She tried to move away but whoever was behind her wouldn’t let her go far.
He pulled her back to him and whispered in her ear, “You are safe little one. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Frankie recognized his voice. It was the one they called Viktor. She didn’t know what would happen next but she also noticed she felt safe in his arms. She turned around while still within the safety of his embrace and looked at him. She was up close and personal now, so she took him in.
He was older than she was but he sure didn’t look too old. She searched his face and saw all the angles and taut skin. His hair was dark like hers but he had the most beautiful deep green eyes she had ever seen.
Dropping her gaze, she saw he wasn’t wearing a shirt and found herself admiring his broad chest and shoulders. He had layer after layer of muscles and she could admire that in a man. He cleared his throat and when she looked up into his eyes, she saw him smiling.
“Do you see anything you like, little one?” he whispered softly.
She raised a hand to her throat and tried to speak. “Yes I do,” she whispered brokenly then winced in pain.
Viktor shushed her drawing her back close to him. “Hush, little one. Don’t try to speak. Your throat isn’t ready yet. How do you feel? Is your head bothering you?”
Frankie shook her head. The extreme pain she felt earlier was down to a dull roar and she could think clearly again. Still holding her hand to her throat, she tried to clear it.
“Don’t,” he grumbled. “You need to let your throat heal a bit more before you try to use it. We don’t know what damage has been done yet.”
Frankie decided that maybe he was right. Then she took her hand and mimicked drinking something.
Viktor pushed the cover down and sat up.
Frankie was quick to notice he wasn’t wearing anything but boxers. She tried to look away but found she couldn’t.
The lines of his back were powerful and his arms were huge, she could tell he was strong without being out of proportion. His back and arms were covered in ink but it was too dark in the bedroom to see what they were all about. She licked her dry lips and couldn’t believe she was so turned on by a little ink.
His legs were thick, well muscled and his ass was tight. She stared at it for a long moment then had to swallow hard when his jeans covered it up. She didn’t know who he was or where she was but these men had pulled her and Galen out of danger then struck a major blow against the people who had hurt them.
He stood pulling his pants up and buckling his belt.
Frankie knew if she could speak, she wouldn’t have. This man was something magnificent and he made her feel all kinds of mixed up. No, she didn’t have a word to say right now... all she could do was stare at his face.
~*~
Viktor caught the flash of the lust in her eyes and paused for a moment. He’d seen the same look in countless women before her and while he could overlook it in everyone else’s eyes, he couldn’t ignore it in hers. It pulled at him...it pushed something inside him. It matched what he felt inside himself. That she felt the same way about him stunned him. He went around the bed and pulled the covers off her. Then he picked her up into his arms and just stared at her face for a moment.
He couldn’t help himself. He brought his lips down on hers. He smothered her mouth with his own and when their lips touched, it was like a thunder bolt ran through his body. He was stunned by it. Never had a kiss been so fiery so fast with a woman. He felt like he needed more of the kiss and more of her.
Frankie groaned and parted her lips. Viktor’s tongue swept inside her mouth and she trembled. She shifted in his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. The bulge in his pants rubbed against her core. When he pressed lips on her throat, she hissed in pain and Viktor stopped immediately. He opened his eyes and looked down at her face grimacing in pain.
Then his gaze centered on her bruised neck and he cursed himself. He had forgotten she was still injured. He lifted his eyes to hers again and without a word, he turned and carried her out to the kitchen where he sat her down at the table. Then he went to the stove to make her a cup of tea.
When he brought it back to her, he also had a notebook and pen in his hand. He laid the notebook down in front of her.
She peered up at him with a question in her eyes.
“I need some answers from you and as you can’t speak yet, I need you to write things down for me,” he explained. “Can you do that?”
Frankie nodded and opened the notebook.
Viktor took a breath then let it out slowly as he began his questions, “We know your name is Frankie and your sister is Galen but how do you two know Galina Beck?”
Frankie startled at the name Beck. Then she wrote something down and pushed the notebook toward Viktor when she finished.
He read what she wrote and frowned. “Da, that is the name she used, Galina Beck. Why?” He slid it back to her.
She wrote in her notebook, “That’s our last name as well. Our father’s name is Joel Beck.”
Viktor let out a heavy sigh. This was as he’d thought back at that compound. Things were getting more than complicated for him and his Nomads. Disgusted at this new complication, he got up and walked down the hall.
A few minutes later both he and Deter came back into the room along with Galen.
Galen went directly to her sister and they hugged tightly.
Deter glanced down at the notebook and read what Frankie had written. Gasping, he looked up at Viktor. “Is this right?”
Viktor nodded then looked over at Galen. “That’s what I’d wanted her to come and verify.”
Deter went to the kitchen and made more tea. Bringing it over, they all sat down.
Viktor cleared his throat. “Galen, I need to know more about your family.”
Galen reached over and took her sister’s hand. Looking back at Deter and Viktor, she asked, “What do you want to know?”
Viktor motioned toward the notebook. “Frankie said your last name was Beck and that your father’s name is Joel Beck. Is that right?”
Galen quickly glanced at Frankie and nodded. “It is, why? Does it make a difference?”
“Da, it could make a big difference.” Viktor assured her.
“Why? Have you heard of our father?”
“We have.” Viktor nodded. “How do you two know Galina?”
Galen tightened her grip on Frankie’s hand. “Our father often told us of a woman he once met when he was younger. Galina Anishin. She had been kidnapped by a man who brought her to this country from somewhere else. He wanted to turn her into something she never wanted to be. My father helped her get away from this other man and he told us that within days he fell in love with her. He would always say that they couldn’t stay together very long as she was afraid this man would come looking for her and kill them both. That the man was a very connected dangerous person. She loved him enough to make him go. He’s wanted to stay and protect her but she told him she loved him too much to involve him in her troubles. He left but he came back for her, a week later. The only problem was he could never find her again. She’d moved and he searched everywhere.”
“Obviously, he got over her with your mother.” Deter acknowledged.
Galen huffed and looked over at Frankie. “There is something you need to know about our family. Our mother might have given us birth but she never wanted us. She didn’t even live with our father, she just had a one night stand with him and we were the result of that night. She called him the night we were born and told him to come and claim us if he wanted us, otherwise she was putting us up for adoption. Our father came and he’s raised us on his own since then. Dear old mom never wanted us and we’ve never even met her. My dad loved this woman Galina though and we were hoping to get the chance to meet her someday, but I guess that will never happen now.”
Frankie looked over at her sister and leaned forward to lay her forehead on Galen’s.
“He’s gonna be so bummed out to discover he will never see her again.” Galen turned her head. Tears building in her eyes. “I don’t think he ever got over her. Hell, he even named me after her.”
“Where is your father living now?” Deter asked.
“Well, for a while after he’d searched for this Galina, he moved around and finally settled in Waco, Texas. That was where he met our mother. Then when she left us with him, he moved to Port Arthur. He still lives there.”