I nodded. “Yes. He’s our president of this gaggle of stockpiled guns.”
She snickered. “I’m sorry about that.”
“I accept your half-hearted apology,” I said.
And when she smiled at me, my heart stopped in my chest.
Are you fucking insane, man?
“It’s really nice to meet you, Natasha,” Brynn said.
“Likewise.”
“I’d stay and chat, but it’s two in the morning and the kids just fell back asleep before I stepped out here. And, thanks to Rock’s signal jammers, there’s no signal around here for a little while.”
“When will those let up?” Natasha asked.
“Probably not for a while,” I said.
“Why not?”
And when I eyed her, she sighed.
“Right. The running,” Natasha said.
“Yes. The running. And if you feel like running again, you should know the nearest gas station with any sort of service, or a telephone of any sort is almost four miles away. So, you might as well get some rest and have breakfast with us. We can figure the rest of it out in the morning,” Brynn said.
“Sounds like you should be running this place instead of Grave,” I said, grinning.
Brynn winked. “Who says I’m not?”
Natasha smiled. “I like her. I want to see more of her.”
I shrugged. “Stick around, and you will.”
“I’ll help you get settled into your room. And the guys can leave you alone,” Brynn said.
She eyed us all carefully and I held my hands up in mock surrender.
“I get it. I get it. We’re not wanted. Which is fine with me, because I’m exhausted,” I said.
“Tired from interjecting your presence into places where it isn’t welcomed?” Natasha asked.
I snickered. “No. Tired of saving stubborn women from themselves.”
And when our eyes met, I found her smiling at me.
With me smiling at her in return.
12
Natasha
“Come on. Girl time. In with me,” Brynn said.
Toxin’s smile held me. Entranced me. Rooted me to the ground for longer than I felt possible. It wasn’t until Brynn placed her hand between my shoulder blades and guided me into the bedroom that our eyes disconnected. Holy shit, Toxin’s smile was amazing. It lit up his eyes. It made him seem almost boyish.
If he wasn’t such a prick, I’d actually want to spend more time with him.
Brynn closed the bedroom door. “All right. A bit of girl time. Though, the guys are lingering out in the hallway, so. Do with that what you will.”
I snickered. “Doesn’t shock me one bit.”
She smiled. “You’ll get used to it.”
“How in the world do you have children around this gang?”
She giggled. “It’s not a gang.”
“It feels like a gang.”
“Because you’re an outsider right now. But we’re more like family. In fact, we are family. We’ve always got one another’s backs and we’re always protecting what’s ours. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“What’s ours. Sounds like you're a possession.”
“And you weren’t with the mafia?”
I snickered. “You’ve got no idea why I was with the mafia.”
“Maybe if you opened up to us a bit, we’d know.”
Not on my life. “I’m good. Thanks.”
She shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
I furrowed my brow. She wasn’t going to fight me on it? People always fought me on things. Ivan. Phillip. My parents before I left home and never looked back. Brynn didn’t want to fight with me?
Maybe she didn’t care either way.
“So, baby daddy is Diesel, huh?” I asked.
Brynn’s face fell. “Yep. Though, he’s technically my husband. So… yeah.”
“How long have you guys been married?”
“A little over two years. Give or take.”
“Are you happy with him?”
She smiled. “Happier than I’ve ever been. Have you ever been married?”
I shook my head. “Nope.”
“In love?”
“Possibly.”
“Possibly? You didn’t know?”
I shrugged. “I thought it was love. But I don’t think it was.”
“Why not?”
The resounding crack of Ivan’s hand against my cheek resounded in my head. An audible flashback that made me jump. I felt Brynn’s hand against my arm, and I whipped my head around to see her. Watching her while she watched me.
“It’s okay. You’re safe here,” she said.
I shrugged off her hand. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Is there anything else you need for the night? Another blanket? Another change of clothes? Some more soap?”
“Actually, could you tell me a bit about Diesel?”
“Diesel?”
“Yeah. Your husband. I mean, if that’s not too much to ask.”
She sighed as she sat on my bed.
“Why?”
I paused. “I guess… just to get an idea of who he is.”
“To figure out whether or not he’s worth saving?”
I snickered. “That really the kind of person I come off as?”
And when she shrugged, the truth became hard to swallow.
“I’m sorry. I’m just—used to fighting and fending for myself.”
Brynn nodded. “I’ve noticed. You don’t have to do that here, though. You can help us, and we can help you. However, you need help. You dictate how you need the help, and that’s what we help with.”
“Even if it means helping to get back into the mafia’s good graces?”
She snickered. “It’ll come with backlash. But, yes. Even that.”
I walked over and sat down beside her.
“What’s Diesel like?”
Brynn smiled off into the distance. “He’s romantic. Strong. A devil of a man in bed.”
I giggled. “Always the best.”
She laughed. “Right? Oh, there’s a reason we’ve got kids. And we honestly want more. We just… can’t get the timing down.”
“Because of the gang?”
“Club, but yes. This lifestyle does come with a sort of danger. We’re worried about being outnumbered when it comes to children versus adults and being overrun in more ways than one.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want kids.”
“You don’t?”
“Nah. I’m needy and clingy enough when I’m not pushing people away. My baby-daddy-husband would be driven absolutely insane with my clinginess and an infant’s neediness.”
She giggled. “Then, find a man who enjoys clinginess.”
“That exists?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Have you tried looking for it?”
“Good point.”
She sighed. “My husband was taken by the mafia. They’ve been threatening our club ever since we took in a couple of our new members. Cage and Sutton. You’ll meet them soon enough. Cage is Diesel’s half-brother, and they’ve been on our case ever since we took them in.”
“Why?”
“It’s long and involved. But the short of the story is Cage used to be involved with a club the mafia slaughtered. Cage survived, and the mafia didn’t like that. Plus, Sutton is the mafioso’s daughter.”
My eyebrows rose. “Well. Yeah. I see why they’re coming after you guys, then.”
“But we protect family. Always. So, now, we’re just trying to take down the mafia without losing any of our members. And it’s been a tough haul. The mafia has a great deal of resources at their disposal. And we’re just a motorcycle club. Getting Diesel back is the first phase of a plan that hasn’t really gotten off the ground yet. In all honesty, I’m really hoping you’ll help us.”
“I don't know what you think I can help with. I was just a waitress in a casino.”
“The casino the head of the mafi
a organized himself.”
My brow furrowed. “How do you know so much about what’s going on? Aren’t women supposed to be kept in the dark on this shit? You know, ‘man work’ and all that?”
She laughed. “They talk that loudly all the time. We all hear them. It’s a matter of keeping our kids shrouded away from it.”
“Wow. That’s—that’s just…yikes.”
“Yeah. It is. Especially when we’re all cooped up here.”
“How long have you guys been here?”
She sighed. “Days. Weeks. They all blend together at this point. But the point of what I’m saying is that Lars—the head of the mafia—is now using my husband’s life as a pawn to end this war we’ve tripped and fallen into. And they won’t hesitate to kill him in the most gruesome of ways if we don’t give them what they want.”
My cheeks puffed out with my sigh. “Those are some serious stakes.”
“Yes. They are. And I want you to know what’s really at stake because I think that helps. Toxin? He’s rough around the edges. I don’t know his story, and Brewer won’t tell us his whole story, but—”
“Who’s Brewer?”
Brynn cleared her throat. “Whenever someone wants to join the club, they become a prospect. But they need a personal referral from a member of the group. Brewer was who recommended Toxin become a prospect of the group. And the only thing he’ll tell us is that he found Toxin rummaging through trash in town.”
“Excuse me. Trash?”
“Yep. Brewer found him, took him in, and eventually brought him to the crew. Diesel said it was the shortest prospect meeting he’d ever attended. But neither Brewer nor Toxin will tell us why he was out on the street, or even where he comes from.”
“If you know so little about him, why let him in?”
She patted my knee. “Because there’s a side to Toxin you haven't witnessed yet. A caring side. A side that wants to help and not harm.”
I paused. “Are we talking about the same person?”
She snickered. “We are, yes. He’s rough. I’m not denying that. But past that roughness and underneath that jagged exterior is a good man. Probably one of the best men we’ve had in this club. And that’s including my husband.”
I blinked. “That’s… hard to imagine.”
“For now, maybe. But if you stick around and help us, you’ll see it with time. You’ll come to love him. Like the rest of us do.”
“Let’s maybe not use a word as strong as ‘love.’”
She laughed. “Okay. Maybe not that strongly. But you get what I’m saying.”
“Yeah. I do.”
She stood from the bed. “Can I ask you a question?”
I nodded. “Shoot?”
“You said something about the mafia protecting you. Right?”
I grinned. “How much did you really eavesdrop on?”
“Enough.”
“I like your style.”
“And I like yours. For the most part. I could use a little less yelling.”
I smiled. “Noted.”
“You said the mafia was protecting you. From what, though?”
My smile faltered. “Just my past.”
“Is someone after you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are you afraid someone’s after you?”
“Yes.”
She nodded slowly. “You should tell the guys. They can’t protect you from what they don’t know.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I know you want to believe good about the mafia because of what they provided you. But what we’ve found out about them? It’s horrendous. The slaughtering. The human trafficking. The torture.”
I blinked. “I’m sorry. Human trafficking?”
She nodded. “Of women, specifically. I urge you to talk to our girls. They have stories from your mafia that would spin your head. They aren’t the kind of organization you think they are.”
“I mean, I never assumed they had their hands clean. But human trafficking?”
“Yeah. The guys raided a hotel not too long ago with the police. You can pull up articles on Rock’s laptop in the morning if you want to read about it.”
Holy shit. Was Phillip in on this stuff? “Maybe I’ll do that.”
Brynn walked over to my door. “You really should. But for now? We all need rest. In the morning, we can sit down over coffee and figure out your next steps.”
I nodded slowly. “Okay.”
“And if you need anything, I’m the first door on the left once you turn right down the hallway. Just diagonal from you.”
I nodded again. “Okay.”
“Take some breaths. It’ll all be okay in the end. That, I can promise you. If you help us.”
I nodded again, mindlessly. “Thanks.”
She left the room and I fell against the mattress. I stared aimlessly at the ceiling as my mind swirled with so many things. The mafia was doing this? Was Phillip helping them with any of this? I didn’t realize they were doing such terrible things. Underground gambling is one. And sure, they rented out “sex rooms.” Prostitution, and all that. But human trafficking? Torture? Those are psychopathic issues.
Did I work for a bunch of psychopaths?
“Shit,” I whispered.
I mean, they were protecting me from my ex. Hiding me. Dropping me off the radar so Ivan couldn't get to me. But the horrible stuff they were doing to people was outstanding. I mean, if even half of what Brynn said was true? I’d been working for men who wouldn’t think twice about killing me.
They wanted you dead tonight.
“Oh, no,” I whimpered.
We can keep you safe, if you do what we ask.
Keep your head down, and don’t ask questions.
That isn’t a place you should be going. Don’t worry about it. Just focus on your job.
This man will be dealt with swiftly. Don't you worry about it.
Flashes of conversations with Phillip bombarded my mind. And with Brynn’s context, tears rushed my eyes. Innocent words no longer seemed so innocent. And the more I thought about it, the more their ruthlessness showed. Men I’d reported for manhandling me on the floor of the casino. Men that conveniently never showed back up. I figured they had been banned.
But, had they been killed?
Am I responsible for their deaths?
“Holy shit,” I breathed.
I mean, if the mafia really was that ruthless, then it changed everything. Every conversation I’d had with Phillip, right down to when he told me the mafia could protect me. I was never veiled to who I’d been working for. Phillip had never lied to me about the organization I worked alongside. But as conversation after conversation filled my mind, my eyes grew wider and watery. And as tears streaked my cheeks, I slowly sat up.
What kind of power did Phillip really have with the mafia?
13
Toxin
I went to bed, but I couldn't sleep. After shit finally settled down, I perched in the kitchen. I listened for the moment Brynn left the room Natasha was in for the night. And after creeping down the hallway, I perched by her door. I listened. Kept watch. Ready to intercept her the second she decided to slip away again.
But all I got were her soft snores through the door.
I went and laid down. But I couldn't get her running out of my head. I bolted upright at every little sound. I tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in. I worried about her leaving again. Sneaking away just before the break of dawn and getting herself killed somewhere. I didn’t know why. She’d been a pain in my dickhole since I’d found her in that fucking back room of the casino.
And yet, my mind raced.
Hours passed. Three in the morning. Four. Five in the morning. Soon, five thirty ticked over on the digital clock beside me and I groaned. It was no use. I wasn’t sleeping anytime tonight.
So, I decided to get myself a snack.
Dressed in nothing but boxers and a t-shirt,
I padded out to the kitchen. I scratched behind my head as I yawned. I shuffled into the darkened kitchen and opened the fridge, trying to figure out a midnight snack concoction. It wasn’t really a midnight snack, though. In two hours, the sunrise would begin. Signaling yet another day Diesel was being tortured instead of home. With his family.
You really fucked this up.
I pushed the thoughts from my mind. I pulled out some sandwich meat and vegetables. The mayonnaise. Mustard. Other things to slap on a sandwich. And as I reached for the bread, the hairs on the nape of my neck stood on end.
Causing me to stop in my tracks.
I held my breath. I closed my eyes. I tuned into the sounds and smells around me. I slowly lowered my hand, forgetting about the bread as I heard it. The smallest creak of the wooden floorboards of the house. The foundation cracked. I heard soft breaths coming down the hallway. I opened my eyes and reached into the kitchen drawer, wrapping my fingers around a steak knife.
And as I turned around with the knife shrouded against the underside of my arm, those brooding eyes appeared. Dark. Twinkling. Wide awake, despite the early morning hours.
Causing me to let out a sigh.
“Natasha, the hell are you doing up so early?” I asked.
She snickered. “You say that like I fell asleep.”
“You did. I heard you snoring.”
“I don’t snore.”
“You wanna bet on that?”
She stepped out from the shadows. “You making a sandwich?”
“I don’t share my food.”
“Trust me, I don’t either. It takes calories to keep up these curves.”
My cheeks ticked with a grin. “Want me to make you one?”
“What? You think I can’t make my own sandwich?”
“Is everything always a battle with you? Or is it some kink you have?”
She snickered. “Careful, now. We might get too loud for the kiddies in the house.”
“Not my problem you’re a screamer.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
She came over to me and reached around my body. After pulling a shaving of turkey off the top of the pile, she tossed it into her mouth. She smiled wildly at me as she chewed, and it made me chuckle. Oh, she was cheeky. A feisty young woman.
Toxin: Dead Souls MC: Prospects #5 Page 8