by Hilary Storm
“Yeah.” I know this is a lot of information to trust anyone with, but I trust these guys with my life and it’s time that I test that trust to the fullest. I don’t have much of a choice unless I hit the road and hide for the rest of my life.
“How can we help?” North, the pretty boy of us all. Many underestimate him because of his looks, but the man has some balls.
“Nothing. I just want you all to know the real story before shit goes down. This may be my last chance to talk to you.”
“Fuck that. You’re not going down alone for standing up for something like this. As far as I’m concerned, a club that would encourage shit like that… isn’t a club I want to be a part of. Tell me what the plan is, and I’ll be right behind you.” Bash talks louder than usual; his dedication and loyalty speaking loud and clear even through his recognition of how bad this really is.
“That’s right. You won’t walk alone if that’s what you decide. If you choose to ride off and set up somewhere else, I’ll be right with you too.” North steps forward, extending his hand for me to shake.
“I don’t have a fucking thing holding me here. I’m in. Just tell me what to do and when.” Sly steps forward too, following North’s lead.
“Same here. If I can’t stand what the club is doing, there’s not a place for me here.” Jinx is the last one of my Brothers to step forward, but it isn’t because he’s contemplating anything. He was right in line with the rest of them.
“I don’t know what else to say or what the plan is, but thanks for having my back. I don’t want anyone to face the consequences for I’m about to. Vic is going to have my head for this. It’s not like me to run from shit, hell… I’m the one who’s supposed to be causing it.”
“If you walk back inside that clubhouse, you’ll be as good as dead. You need to think very carefully how you want to move forward from here.” Bash warns me one last time as we both grasp for a good plan to come to surface.
“I’m not running. I’ll go face to face with Vic in front of the entire fucking club if that’s what it takes. He thinks this is his club… but he has no fucking idea just how thick some of the bonds I’ve made are. I would think this should be a vote of the officers in the least and as far as I know, that wasn’t done. Poe and Church looked just as surprised as I was. Bates, Spike and Gus all knew what was happening. That only leaves three that would possibly object, even if I could get him to bring it to a vote.”
“That’s not enough.” Bash leans back against his truck and crosses his arms.
“Yeah. And the chances of getting any of those other dickwads to change their stance and go against Vic would be a fuckin’ miracle.” I speak the obvious.
“Are you sure you don’t want to just ride the fuck out of here and build up somewhere else? We all know they’d eventually catch up to you, but at least we’d be more prepared for the fuckin’ fight.” North has a good idea… if I was any other person. I’ve even thought of this myself already. I’m not one to run from things and I have to meet this head on and not spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder waiting to meet the Reaper.
“No, I’m not running. I’m not even waiting til morning to address this shit. Once I leave here, I’m going to the clubhouse and I’m going to confront Vic. It’ll be best to get it over with. You guys can go there now and set up like we always do. He shouldn’t expect that we’ve talked yet and that’ll give you the freedom to watch my back while I’m standing up to Vic. Keep your eyes on Bates, Spike and Gus. They’ll be the first to react since they’re all so far up Vic’s ass they can’t even make their own decisions about what’s right and wrong.”
Bash shakes my hand and throws his arm around me, hitting me twice in the back before he steps back and looks me directly in the eyes. “Anything. We’ll be ready. Just know we’re right behind you if shit goes down. I fuckin’ love ya, Man.” I try not to let his emotional words affect me, but they hit me hard.
I take a deep breath of fresh air as the sound of their bikes echo against the trees and I watch their backs as they all ride off. This could very well be the last time I see them like this and that punches me right in the gut. I decide to make one last phone call before I test my fate.
“Hi. You’ve reached Elaina. I’m not able to come to the phone right now, leave me a message and I’ll get back with ya. Bye now!” I never leave her a message but choose to this time.
“Hey, it’s Ty. I just wanted to check on you. And to tell you that I’m proud of ya.” I pause and try to think what to say. “I’m going to text you a phone number to call if you ever need anything and I’m not around.” Anything else I try to say sounds final, so I decide to end it quickly. “Alright, stay good.” And with that I hang up, having a hard time not believing that voicemail was the last time I’ll ever hear her voice.
And then I text her Bash’s phone number.
Chapter Ten
It’s a packed house tonight. The parking lot is filled just like it is most nights and that should make me feel a little easier about approaching Vic, but it doesn’t. He loves a good show and what a more perfect way to make a point than to make an example out of his own son who defied him.
I spot the line of bikes parked across the front of the building, then glance behind me to confirm that all the officers’ rides are here. If I have a chance at getting through this alive, then I’m going to need Poe and Church.
Opening the door, I expect all eyes to be on me… as if he’d already made a club announcement about my position changing in the club. But that’s not the case.
It’s exactly the same bustle we have in here every single night of the week. Most of the guys are already slushed out of their minds with their hands full of ass or tits. Others are splayed around in deep conversation or playing some sort of game with their usual buddies.
I start to walk toward my corner of the room, carefully taking in every look my way. The officers are all missing from the crowd, no doubt probably deciding how to handle their newest problem.
After a couple of the guys approach me, one with a beer and the other with a whiskey, I start to relax a bit.
“Where are the officers?” My mind can’t handle the small talk they’re both attempting, neither of them having any clue I’m a fuckin’ dead man walking, and their heads could be on the chopping block for even showing me this kindness after I’ve rebelled as I have.
“They went to the table about ten minutes ago.”
“Thanks.” I leave them both quickly, not wanting to put a target on anyone’s back, especially someone who has no idea what’s really going on in the club tonight.
I know the longer I wait, the worse this is going to get. If they’re all in there deciding my fate, I think I should have a say in how it’s going to go.
I finally say ‘fuck it’ and walk straight toward the room I know they’ll all be in. Without a knock, I walk in and go straight for my assigned chair, sitting without even looking up until I’m taking the final swig from the bottle in my right hand.
“What did I miss?” My nonchalant attitude causes Vic to smile. He’s always liked a challenge.
“Not a thing. We were just discussing another one of your gifts for this new promotion we’ve all trusted you with.” He slides his phone open and dials someone on speaker for dramatic effect.
“Yes. Please bring it in now. Put it right where I told you to.” He ends the call before the voice on the other end could be heard clearly in the room.
“My Son. Tonight wasn’t your best night. What do you have to say for yourself?” Vic leans forward and places his elbows on the table to look me in the eyes.
“We don’t need to stoop to that fuckin’ level. Our club is above that.” I attempt to make a statement, but I’m interrupted before I can begin to make my point.
“You don’t get to make those kinds of decisions young one. You think you can sit your ass in that seat for an hour and start making decisions on your fucking own.” Bates glares at me from straight across th
e table, rage making his face and neck as red as I’ve ever seen. “You don’t know shit about what this club needs.”
I sit back in my seat and casually sip my whiskey, never taking my eyes off of Bates.
“That’s enough. We can discuss all of this tomorrow. Church will be in touch with you all about a time. If you plan to object to the new plans for the club… you’d better be prepared to bring an alternative to the table.” I take Vic’s warning and instantly plan to have a conversation with Poe and even Church about other ways to make that kind of money for the club. I also want to know their take on all of this, since it seems they were the only two in the warehouse earlier who didn’t have a clue about what was going on.
“I’ll work on ideas and have them ready.” The rest of the room stays silent, not giving me any hint of what this gift is, or what the discussion was prior to me entering.
To be honest, I don’t need to ask any of them. I already know I was the hot topic of debate, if anyone was even debating. It might have been more of a rant of my new haters.
“You do that. I’ll be ready to ask all the questions, so you better have a good fuckin’ plan if you want us to take you seriously in here and you’d better not ever defy the club again.”
“Enough, Bates. I’ll handle this my way.” Vic interrupts Bates’ threats, solidifying that I’m not getting out of this without the turmoil I expected. “That’s for tomorrow.”
I’d almost rather get it all over with tonight, but I guess I have to be thankful for the time to wrap my head around how to approach the table with my defiance.
It’s a knock at the door that sends Vic to his feet. “Alright… it’s time. Chaos, come with me.” I’m not going to lie, his tone is keeping me on edge and his firm grip on my shoulder makes me slow my step as we’re the first to step through the door.
All the members have pushed back against the walls, clearing the center of Devil’s Den, giving me an instant view of my newest fuckin’ nightmare.
She’s tied to an X shaped cross, completely fuckin naked and blindfolded just like the other girls were. Only this time I can see the fucking angel tattoo on her shoulder and when I get closer, I can even read the name ‘Carol’ right below it.
Mother fucker.
“Chaos. I’m giving you one last chance to show your loyalty to the club. Actually… tonight I’m giving you two options. You can either take this girl and fuck her like you were supposed to the other one, or you can watch as every guy in this room gets a chance to do it for you.” The feeling in my gut drops with every fucking word out of his mouth. There’s not a single chance in hell that I can do either of those. Now I just have to figure out how to buy myself some time.
I begin to slowly walk around the room, allowing my eyes to look over every part of her body. Bruises on her arms and legs tell me she fought them. The welts on her back make me fucking sick as the thought of any torture she could’ve endured flashes through my mind. She’s knocked out cold, which might be her only saving grace, but it makes it harder for me to get her out of here with both of us alive.
“I’ll take her to my room. She’s mine.”
“No. You can have the cell in the back to do what you need. She doesn’t need to see anything that will bring her back to the club once we’re done with her. Keep her blinders on and drop your phone in the bowl. You won’t be needing it.” Vic already knows I’ll be trying to get her out of here; he’s taking away my only way to communicate with Bash and the rest of the guys to make that happen.
I glance around, spotting each of the guys spread out in the room, ready to move on my first signal. But we are grossly outnumbered and any signal I would give would have us all dead within minutes.
“Fine. Cut her down and I’ll take her to the cell.” I’m hoping like hell for something to give, and not seeing any chance of it happening. The room is silent as the weight of my decision is heavy in the room. Some of them are surprised to see this kind of display, while others are foaming at the mouth in hopes that I’ll turn her over to them all.
“No. Move her just like this. She’ll be waiting for you in the cell.” Two of the prospects start to roll her lifeless body out of the room.
I work to take notes of all those looking with disgust on their face, knowing if I ever get out of this alive, I’ll want to remember who was against this heinous shit.
“You can make this right tonight and show your support for the direction the club is going, or you can blow this last chance and face your own death. I won’t be able to stop Bates and Spike from taking this into their own hands if you show me disrespect again. Not that the two of them are who you should fear if you defy me ever again.”
How the fuck did I get myself into this? This isn’t the club I’ve grown to love. This isn’t the club I begged to sit at the table of and lead. Now that I have a seat, I’m fucking ashamed of it all. Vic has shifted his priorities and with that I can’t fight every day wondering if I’m taking my last step with anything I do.
I have to get out. And I have to do it now.
“You know I like to play with my toys a bit. Just don’t fuckin’ rush me and you’ll get your damn way.” I talk to Vic quietly before I walk out of the room and down the hall toward the fucking cell, the entire time contemplating my escape with the girl.
Jesus.
I’m gonna die tonight.
Chapter eleven
They have her fucking gagged.
I’ve been leaning against the wall behind her, watching her every breath since I stepped through the door. She’s finally stirring and it’s quickly becoming apparent this was easier when she wasn’t awake.
“Why are you doing this?” I barely make out her scream around the ball gag. “Please.”
Her sobs are louder and quickly testing my dedication to the latest fucked up plan that I’ve come up with to get us out of here.
She’s naked. Blindfolded. Stretched to her limit on the cross. The urge to free her is trying my patience and I’m still grasping to come to terms with what Vic has done tonight.
The tattoo that keeps showing up.
I kick off the wall to get a closer look at her. I crave touching it; I want to brush my finger over her skin to see if it’s as soft as it looks.
She’s probably scared to death and I’m here testing the limits to see how close I can get to her before everything turns to shit. I’m drawn to this girl and I know it’s fucked up. I know she can feel me behind her because she calms her sobs to listen to me.
She turns her head, making contact with my face before I can pull away.
“Please.” Her plea hits me like a punch to the gut and it’s getting harder to listen to her cries and not respond. I still don’t know what to fucking do to get us both out of this alive. I need time to think, I don’t have it.
And neither does she.
Her body is bared to me. Every inch of skin visible and vulnerable to anything I want to do. It’s every guys fantasy.
Only she doesn’t want this. I’ll take a willing participant over this nightmare any day.
My eyes are drawn to the bruises on her body. They’re small like fingertips gripping at her sides and legs. Anger consumes me and like a ticking time bomb I have to move. I need to get this over with and she needs help. If any of those guys have already raped her, then she’s got more problems than I can save her from tonight.
I remember one of the girls needing a Morning After pill not that long ago. I wonder if I can get my hands on one. I decide to give it a shot and slip into the hallway, hoping to find the same chick.
Instead I’m greeted by Bates, standing watch over the door with a Club Whore on her knees in front of him. “Give up already?” He disgusts me. His eagerness to get to this girl and prove a point to me is ridiculous.
“Nah. I want to fuck her bare. Need one of those Plan B pills.” I lie. I have no intentions of fucking the girl at all. She’d have to consent, and I can’t see that happening.
�
�Medicine cabinet in the back bathroom.” The girl on her knees stops long enough to give me the information I need.
I move quick, not wanting to leave her too long or give anyone else a chance to sneak in.
It only takes me a few minutes to get back to her. Tossing the box on the table, I take a deep breath. She’s gonna fucking hate this shit.
There’s only one way to make sure she gets this pill down. “Take this.” I remove the ball gag and she starts fighting me instantly.
“You will take this fucking pill if I have to fight you all night and make you take it.”
She thrashes and bites down, so I grip her cheeks tight and force her to take it. This isn’t going to help calm her, but I have to do it. Maybe one day we’ll both be lucky enough that she can thank me for it.
“Next time, someone might make you pay for a stunt like that,” I speak closely, adrenaline causing us both to breathe heavy. She coughs and cries harder than she was before, and I just want to fucking cut her down and hold her. I can do this all night to fucked up assholes who deserve to die… but this girl is slowly tearing me down with her cries.
“It’s for your own good.” That’s all I can say before I leave the room again.
I can’t fucking do this.
Chapter Twelve
Cambri
My blindfold is cold and wet from the tears, only making me more stir crazy by the second. I don’t know how long it’s been since he left me alone, but it feels like hours. I’ve given up on trying to twist my wrists free from the hold the rope has on me, feeling the welts grow more sensitive around the dead weight of my hands while the blood flows south in my body. I’m scared for my life and completely unprotected as I wait for what comes next.
Will I fall to sleep from the pill he forced down my throat or was it some sort of drug to make me forget everything that’s about to happen, leaving me helpless mentally as he plans his torture on me? I can’t tell if it’s doing anything to make this all worse, or somehow calming me while I wait.