Meeting Danger (Danger #1)

by Allyson Simonian

  Autumn’s mouth dried instantly as her pulse skyrocketed.

  CHAPTER 42

  “You got anything to say for yourself?”

  Autumn clenched her teeth to keep them from chattering as she forced herself to meet Butch’s gaze.

  Viking and Deck hadn’t said a word when Butch forced her into the van and drove them all to a Wicked Disciples clubhouse somewhere in the backwoods of West Virginia. When they arrived, Butch had dragged her out of the van, past a few motorcycles and pickups parked in the small gravel parking area, and through the front door.

  From what she’d seen as he dragged her through the clubhouse, its layout was similar to the club in Newburgh. A large gathering room and bar in the front, a meeting room for church, a kitchen, and several bedrooms in the back. Some would be occupied by club members who lived there for a time, others used for quick hookups. The very thought made her shudder.

  The gathering room was fairly empty, with only a few brothers nursing their beers at the bar. None of them even glanced over as Butch dragged her past them to the bedrooms in the back. He chose one with an open door and shoved her inside ahead of him before slamming the door shut and locking it.

  When Butch turned to face her, his features were red with barely contained fury. “Well?”

  Autumn sucked in a shuddering breath. “I-I’m sorry.”

  He closed the distance between them so that she was backed against the wall. “You’re sorry,” he said in a falsetto voice, mocking her.

  Her stomach dropped to her feet as he clenched and unclenched his hand. The blow to her face came quickly, making her gasp in pain as her head snapped back. His next blows forced her to the floor. She moved her arms over her face to protect herself. By the time Butch finished, she lay sobbing, curled into a ball.

  Butch panted as he bent over her, his fists still clenched. “I’m only going to ask you this once. Where the fuck does the cop live?”

  “I don’t know!”

  He let out an angry stream of curses. “You do know! And you’re going to tell me just how the fuck he got away from us in the first place!”

  Camden’s voice came into her head, clear and strong. Say whatever you have to.

  Autumn closed her eyes, not trusting herself to meet Butch’s penetrating gaze. “He came into the house and told me I had to go with him.”

  “He didn’t come to the house! You cut him loose.”

  “No!”

  Butch grabbed hold of her hair and tugged her head upward.

  “I didn’t!” Autumn screamed.

  He gave her hair a sharp jerk before he released it, and she quickly put a hand to her scalp.

  “You fuck him?”

  “No!”

  When his boots shifted on the floor, she curled into herself, sure he was about to kick her. “I didn’t!”

  The blow didn’t come, and she took in a shaky breath of relief.

  “Where does he live?” Butch ground out.

  “I don’t know,” she whispered.

  He reached down and yanked her head back, glaring into her eyes.

  “He never said where we were!” she cried out.

  Butch let go and straightened. “Your brother said you took a bus to Saint Louis.” His tone was still filled with menace. “Where from?”

  She swallowed hard as she looked up at him. Was this a test? She’d already told Wade she’d traveled from Pennsylvania.

  “From Wilkes-Barre.”

  “How’d you get there?”

  “I hitchhiked.”

  Butch’s eyes narrowed. “How long was the car ride from the house?”

  “A little over an hour.”

  In reality, it was fifteen minutes at most from Shavertown to Wilkes-Barre, but lying about the distance was the only way she knew to protect Camden. Thankfully, Butch thought she still couldn’t read, that she was too ignorant to even know where she’d stayed.

  “How’d you pay for the ticket?”

  “I took cash he kept in the kitchen,” she lied.

  Autumn pressed her trembling lips together, praying the answers would satisfy Butch. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying not to gasp at the pain when she touched her ribs. Now I know how Cam felt.

  At least she’d survived the beating. She’d been certain Butch was going to kill her. She’d have some lumps and bruises, much like she’d suffered through before, but thankfully nothing seemed broken. A tickle came from her hairline but she ignored it, knowing it was probably blood.

  “What’s his name?”

  “I don’t know his real name; he never told me. He went by Cam while I stayed with him too.”

  Every muscle inside her body knotted as Butch put his hands on his hips, but he didn’t say anything more. A few seconds later, he stalked out of the room.

  Putting a hand against the wall for support, Autumn slowly rose. She swallowed down the bitter taste of bile as she moved into the adjoining bathroom.

  Leaning heavily against the countertop, she forced in some deep breaths. The mirror above the sink showed jagged cuts where Butch’s rings had cut into her, and one in her hairline was trickling a thin line of blood. Bruises were beginning to form all over her body, but nothing felt broken.

  Hatred and panic warred inside her. What if Butch found Camden? She tamped down the panic, forcing herself to stay strong. No. He wasn’t going to; somehow she’d find a way to warn Camden.

  When Butch slammed back into the bedroom, she startled.

  “Get over here.”

  Something dangled from his hand as she moved toward him. Her heart pounded hard when she realized what he was holding—a set of handcuffs.

  “Onto the bed.”

  Autumn was trembling as she made her way across the room. Butch grabbed her wrist and roughly clicked one side of the cuffs around it.

  “W-what are you doing?”

  He secured the other end onto the metal bed frame and growled, “Since I can’t trust you anymore, you’ll stay cuffed to the bed while I’m out.”

  He left the room, locking the door behind him. A few minutes later, motorcycles roared as he and the brothers took off.

  Autumn lay tensed on the bed the entire time they were gone. She knew better than to scream for help; none of the brothers that remained would help her. In fact, they might do worse . . .

  Thoughts of Camden filled her head, which had since begun to ache with the familiar tightening.

  What if Butch finds him?

  • • •

  By the time Butch strode into the bedroom hours later, Autumn’s bladder was about to burst. A shiver coursed through her as he approached.

  “C-can I use the bathroom?”

  He released her handcuffs and gave her a look of disgust. “Make it fast.”

  When she came out of the bathroom, he stood waiting. The anger darkening his eyes nearly froze her in place.

  “Back on the bed. Now!”

  She forced her rubbery legs to move and stumbled forward. Butch cuffed her again to the bed and lay down beside her.

  The thought of having sex with him made her skin crawl, but he didn’t touch her. Soon he was snoring.

  Autumn lay awake for most of that night as dread churned inside her. How was she going to warn Camden?

  CHAPTER 43

  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  Camden and Grayson had headed back toward Pennsylvania, figuring it was the direction Wade and Autumn were traveling, but they’d found no other leads. Too tired to keep driving to Shavertown, they’d stopped in Pittsburgh at dinnertime and gotten a room.

  After they had dinner, Camden stood pacing inside their hotel room, about to lose his mind as they went over for the millionth time what they did and didn’t know.

  Grayson’s phone rang. “It’s a 614 area code,” he said as he pulled it out of his pocket and put it on speaker. “Hello?”

  “He’s ba-aack,” a woman’s voice sang.

  Camden and Grayson exchanged a look before G
rayson asked, “Is this Zoe?”

  “Yes, and Wade’s back.”

  Camden’s pulse spiked. “He’s there with you right now?”

  “Uh-huh. Asleep on my couch. I’m standing outside.”

  Christ.

  “Keep him there, all right?” Grayson quickly said. “We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  • • •

  “Let me handle this, Cam,” Grayson said as they approached Zoe’s apartment. “You look like you’re about to blow a gasket.”

  Camden’s hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists as he followed his friend from the parking lot to Zoe’s apartment.

  When Zoe opened the door to their knock, Wade was sitting up on the couch, yawning.

  Camden stalked inside, pushing past Grayson. “Where is she? Where’s Autumn?”

  Wade didn’t answer. He had a dumbfounded expression on his face as he stared up at them.

  “You’re going to tell us, and you’re going to answer every question we ask you.”

  Wade remained silent, so Grayson took a step forward and displayed his credentials, explaining who they were. “We’d be happy to haul you to the nearest police station if you’d rather talk to us there.”

  Autumn’s brother closed his eyes and let out a sigh. “Fine. I’ll talk.”

  “How did you meet Cobb?” Camden spat out.

  “The Disciples had a gambling place in Chicago.”

  “Cobb was living in Chicago?”

  “He was visiting.”

  Camden’s fist tightened. “And what happened? You were in debt and he just offered to bail you out? Or did you happen to tell him you had a beautiful sister?”

  Wade remained silent.

  “Do you know he abused her?”

  Shrugging, Wade looked away.

  “Do you even give a shit?” Grabbing Wade’s shirt, Camden pulled him to his feet. “How much did Cobb give you for her this time?”

  Grayson snorted in disgust as Zoe stood silent a few feet away, her mouth agape. Her head swung back and forth while she followed the conversation with interest.

  Camden grabbed hold of Wade’s throat. “Where. Is. She?” His hands tightened to the point where Wade began making gurgling noises.

  “Ease up, Cam!”

  The words barely registered through the haze of rage inside Camden’s head. He relaxed his fingers enough that Wade was able to choke in a breath, and he coughed and sputtered.

  “Where is she?” Camden repeated the question through gritted teeth.

  “Let go of me,” Wade said in a tight whisper. When Camden released him, he clutched at his neck. “I have an address in my phone. I’ll give it to you.”

  Camden shook his head in disgust as Wade went to retrieve his phone. “All that time she was giving you the benefit of the doubt. Little did she know her only brother was a piece of shit.”

  Grayson moved next to Camden and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Easy, man. Calm down.”

  Once Wade gave them the address, Camden jabbed a finger into his chest. “You warn Cobb that we’re coming, and I’ll come back and kill you.”

  CHAPTER 44

  Wheeling, West Virginia

  “I’ve got his address.”

  Butch’s malevolent grin brought bile to Autumn’s throat. Her handcuffs rattled as she shifted on the bed, inching away from him.

  Butch came closer until he hovered over her. “Camden Taylor. Lives in Shavertown, Pennsylvania.” His tone was sinister, pure evil. “Didn’t take me long at all.”

  Fear pounded in Autumn’s chest. How Butch had found Camden wasn’t important. All that mattered was what he’d do. He might not kill Camden himself, but he’d make sure it happened, not only to protect his heroin operation but to save face. After all, the undercover cop had infiltrated their club and then escaped from him once they’d discovered his identity. To make matters worse, the cop had taken his woman. That alone was reason enough to kill him.

  Butch pushed off the bed with a grin. “You have fun now.”

  As the front door slammed, Autumn tugged at her handcuffs. Her gaze flew to the nightstand. She’d seen lotion in that drawer. Could she use it to slide her hands from the cuffs?

  As the brothers’ motorcycles roared off, she jerked open the drawer. She grabbed the small container of lotion and squirted some onto her cuffed wrist. Furiously she smeared the cream over her chafed skin.

  Pausing to say a quick prayer that this would work, she took in a deep breath and slid the cuff down. The metal glided easily to the top of her thumb but then stopped moving. Gritting her teeth, Autumn pushed harder, moving her thumb first one way and then the other. It wouldn’t budge.

  Tears of frustration slid down her face. This wasn’t going to work; she’d need to come up with a different plan.

  • • •

  A few hours later, Butch stalked into the bedroom and unlocked Autumn’s cuffs. “Get into the kitchen and make us something to eat.”

  “Can I use the bathroom first?”

  When Butch gave a grunt of assent, she hurried into the bathroom and closed the door. The last time she’d been allowed to use the bathroom, she’d been too stunned by the beating to take advantage of the situation. But this time, she was determined to use her time to search, even if it was fruitless.

  As silently as she could, she opened the cabinet under the sink and then searched the drawers, confirming what she already suspected. There was nothing here that she could use as a weapon—no scissors or tools, nothing sharp.

  She bit down on her lip as she sat on the toilet to empty her bladder. The knives in the kitchen would be her only shot. But would she be able to do it? Would she be able to stab Butch in order to get away?

  She quickly dismissed the idea. Even with a knife, Butch would overpower her, and the brothers would come running to help.

  Her only choice was to run.

  When she opened the bathroom door, Butch grabbed her arm. As he marched her through the clubhouse to the kitchen, the local brothers didn’t even look up from their beers. In the kitchen, Deck, Viking, and Trey had a rowdy game of cards going at the kitchen table.

  Butch took a seat beside Viking. “Hurry up, Autumn. Make us something.”

  Viking gathered up the cards and shuffled them, dealing Butch in on the next hand.

  Autumn moved to the cabinet and took out a pot. She peeked through the kitchen’s window, eyeing the woods behind the clubhouse as she filled the pot with water. Any chance of escaping would be through there.

  As she carried the pot to the stove, she noticed a supply room next to the kitchen, through which was an exterior door. It would take just a few seconds to move into the supply room, turn that lock, and slip out. But she’d need to wait for the right time.

  Her opportunity came forty-five minutes later when Butch and the brothers were eating. She’d just given Butch a second helping, and he sat laughing at something Viking was saying.

  Knowing it was as good a distraction as she was going to get, Autumn quickly slipped into the supply room. As she opened the door, the hinges squeaked in protest.

  For a horrifying second, she stood frozen in terror. Then her adrenaline surged and she took off.

  She’d made it about a hundred feet into the woods behind the clubhouse before she heard crashing through the undergrowth behind her. Butch shouted out her name in fury.

  Autumn ran harder, slapping aside small branches blocking her path. Footsteps pounded behind her, gaining quickly, and her panic rose. When she made the mistake of glancing over her shoulder, she stumbled. Just as she’d righted herself, a tattooed arm snaked around her waist and she was yanked against a massive chest.

  “What the fuck you doing, girl?”

  “Please, Deck, let me go!” Autumn pleaded. When he didn’t release her, she kicked hard, making contact with his shin.

  “Quit it!”

  Deck turned her around and Autumn caught sight of B
utch. The look of rage on his face sent fresh terror exploding through her. She struggled as hard as she could, but Deck’s grip didn’t loosen.

  Butch came forward and grabbed hold of her hair. Too terrified to speak as he dragged her toward the garage behind the clubhouse, she stumbled to keep up with him.

  He opened the garage door and shoved her inside, then gripped her throat and backed her against a wall. He squeezed so hard that she saw stars. She sucked in a breath and clawed at his fingers, trying in vain to get him to release her.

  This was it, the end of her life. But it was even worse than she’d feared. Butch wasn’t just going to kill her—he was going to kill Camden too.

  One of the brothers stepped into the garage, but she was too busy fighting for her life to tell who it was.

  “Butch! Come on, man!” Viking.

  Black spots dotted Autumn’s vision. Butch’s grip eased and she was finally able to gasp in another tiny breath.

  “Let’s talk about this, Butch,” Viking said, clapping a hand on Butch’s shoulder.

  Cursing, Butch released Autumn completely. When she sank onto her knees and clutched at her throat, he jerked his head toward a grimy chair next to a workbench cluttered with tools.

  “Tie her to it.”

  After scrounging around in one of the toolboxes on the workbench, Deck came forward with a length of rope. He secured her hands behind her, then whispered something to Butch and they left the garage.

  As Viking turned to leave, Autumn called out, “Help me, Viking.”

  He turned to look back at her, shaking his head. “Why’d you do it? You shouldn’t have gone against Butch like that.”

  She choked back a sob, unable to say a word, and Viking let out a long sigh before leaving to follow Butch.

  Trey had been standing silent in the corner, but now he moved toward her. The look in his eyes terrified her, reminding her too much of how Butch looked before he demanded sex.

  “No!” Autumn shrieked. She screamed even louder when he continued to approach. “No!”

  Viking stuck his head back inside the garage door. “Inside, Trey. We’re having a meeting.”