“You got more than a business interest in Jewel, prez?” Ghost asks with a grin.
“Fuck you, brother,” I toss back, feigning anger, but my heart ain’t in it. Truth is, I don’t think I care if the Lords know what’s going on between Jewel and me. I asked her to put off lookin’ for another job yesterday. And as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I knew why I was asking it.
Not because I don’t want the hassle of replacing our bartender.
Not because I’m just used to having her around.
Not because I want her to stay in a dead end job, in a dead end life, like she thinks she would be if she stayed.
Because, goddamnit. I’m in love with her. And because she’s part of the family. And because damned if I know how it took me this long to figure all this shit out. I’m damn lucky she’s stuck around as long as she has. But I aim to figure out a way to make her stick around one hell of a lot longer. I want her with me. I want her with the club. And I want her to feel like she’s got the life she wants.
As long as she’ll have me.
“Fuck you, brother,” I say to Ghost again, my voice turning to a growl. “My feelings about Jewel are my business. But she deserves more than tending bar with you bunch of numb nuts. She’s every bit as capable as Rosie, and she’s the best possible person to run the Skull if we buy it. She knows bikers, she’s tough and feisty, and she’ll be able to keep that place going.” I look around the table. “The Skull can be an asset to us, if she’s in charge. And you all know that.”
The Lords argue back and forth about whether we should buy the bar or not, but one thing is never disputed: everyone agrees that Jewel’s the person to manage it. In the end, we’re almost ready to take a vote, when the door to the chapel bursts open.
Jude stands in the doorway, eyes wide and frantic. His face is bruised and swollen, but I don’t care why. He’s broken a cardinal rule.
“What the fuck?” I roar. I jump to my feet, furious. “This room is off limits! No one comes in here who’s not a patched member of the club!”
“I know!” Jude shouts. “I’m sorry! The prospects tried to stop me. But this can’t wait! Jewel’s gone! She’s been taken by the Krow Klan!”
“Jase and a bunch of the other guys jumped me,” Jude is saying, talking loud and fast so everyone can hear him. We’re out in the main room now. The prospects are there, too. “They fuckin’ held me overnight, the pieces of shit,” he spits. “Took my phone. I think they meant to call Jewel with it, maybe try to figure out where she was. I heard one of them call someone — I think it was Kane — and tell him they were on their way there with my cell. They took my wallet, too. Beat me up and dropped me out in the country.” Jude shakes his head in disgust. “It took me this long to get back into town. When I got to the apartment, I realized they’d taken my keys, too. I had to get a neighbor to let me in. The living room was trashed and Jewel was gone!” Jude turns to me. “I don’t know how long it’s been!” he says urgently. “They might have had her for hours!”
“Jesus fuck,” Beast hisses.
“Where would Kane have taken her?” I demand. When Jude hesitates, I grab him by the collar, shaking him. “Where?”
“I don’t know!” he cries. “I’ve never been to Kane’s place. I don’t know anything about him, really! And since I haven’t been hangin’ out with Jase and those guys anymore, I don’t think any of ‘em would tell me anything!”
“Like hell they won’t,” I growl. I stand and let go of Jude’s collar. “Take me to them. You know where they hang out. Don’t you? Don’t you!” I roar. Kane will pay for this. The fear that Jewel is hurt thudding at the crown of my skull is only drowned out by the molten rage erupting through me.
“Yeah.” He nods, his eyes flickering back and forth as he thinks. “I can find them.”
“We’re wasting time. Come on.”
I take Jude in Jewel’s car, a handful of Lords coming with us to make sure Kane’s fuckin’ minions know we mean business. Jude directs me as I drive. First we go to the trailer where Jase lives with his older brother. Jase isn’t home, but his brother is. He’s a greasy-lookin’ punk that I’ve seen around town, and gives his name as Colton.
When I demand Jase’s whereabouts, Colton pleads ignorance.
“You got a phone, don’t you?” I growl.
“Yeah…” he trails off, and it’s clear he’s tryin’ to think of some sort of excuse as to why he won’t be able to call Jase with it. I backhand him across the face to clear that fuckin’ excuse out of his head.
“Here’s what’s gonna happen,” I hiss, pulling out my piece and aiming it at his head. “First, you’re gonna tell me where your goddamn phone is. Don’t reach for it or I’ll blow your fuckin’ head off.”
Paling, Colton blurts out that it’s in his back right pocket. I nod at Jude, who reaches in and pulls it out. Colton gives us the security code, and Jude searches through the contacts until he finds Jase.
“Next, we’re gonna call him, and when he answers you’re gonna ask him where he is. If you give him any indication we’re here, it’ll be the last conversation you’ll ever have. You got that?”
Colton looks like he wants to fire off some smart fuckin’ response, but he’s too much of a coward. He gives me a quick, frightened nod instead. “Why do you want him?” he whispers. “Are you gonna kill him?”
“We’ll see.” Jude punches in the number and hits speaker phone. He holds it in front of Colton. On the second ring, there’s a click. “Yeah.”
“Jase.” Colton’s starting to sweat. His voice wavers, but he does a decent enough job of sounding normal. “Hey, bro, what’s up?”
“Not much.” There’s noise in the background, voices laughing and talking. “Why?”
“Uh… I just wanted to know where you’re at right now.” Colton glances at me nervously.
“Over at Richie’s hangin’ out.” Jase’s tone is annoyed. “Why the fuck do you care?”
I press the barrel of the gun hard against Colton’s temple.
“Just…” he hesitates, then continues rapidly, “I’m bringin’ a chick over here to bang later. Wanted to make sure I had the place to myself for a couple hours.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Jase replies. “I ain’t gonna be back probably till tonight.”
“Okay. Cool.” Colton looks up at me hopefully. I give him a single nod. “Uh, that’s all, I guess. Later, dude.”
“Whatever.” The line clicks. Colton exhales shakily.
“Good job, little man,” I say, easing the pressure of the barrel against his head. “Not worth an Academy Award, or anything, but not bad. Where’s Richie’s?”
“Richie’s one of his buddies. His uncle has a plumbing and appliance business on the other side of town. They don’t have much business most of the time, so Richie and those guys hang out in the shop and get high most days.”
I glance at Jude, who scowls. “I know where it is.”
“We’re done here.” I lower the gun and take the phone from Jude. Tossing it to the floor of the trailer, I lift up the heel of my boot and come down on it hard. The screen makes a satisfying crunching noise as it breaks. I stomp the thing a couple more times for good measure, then peer down at it to make sure it’s toast.
“Afraid we’re gonna have to tie your ass up, Colton,” I say conversationally. Lifting my chin at Bullet and Hale, I turn toward the door of the trailer. “Do the honors. We’ll wait outside.”
When Bullet and Hale are finished making sure there’s no way for Colton to escape and warn his brother, we take off toward the plumbing business. The owner, who must be the uncle, looks pretty surprised to see us walk in. For a single fuckin’ hilarious moment, he seems to believe we’re there to buy a washer/dryer or some shit like that. I have Bullet keep a gun trained on him, and the rest of us head out for the repair shop.
Kane’s minions are out there, just like we expected. Jase looks over in confusion as we walk in, but it doesn’t take long for
him to figure out who we are and what we’re after. He bolts up out of the chair he’s sitting in and makes a run for the loading dock. The other five or six little pricks scatter, too. But they’re all so fuckin’ high we don’t even bother pulling our guns as we chase ‘em down. I grab Jase by the collar of his jacket and throw him to the ground. In the background, I hear his buddies going down, too.
“Neo-Nazi piece of shit,” Beast seethes just before he cracks one in the skull.
I smile.
Jude rushes up behind me and tackles Jase. Straddling him, he pulls a fist back and starts to hammer his face, hard and fast. “You son of a bitch!” he yells. “Where the fuck is my sister?” I watch for a moment as he bloodies up his former friend, pulling him off Jase only when he’s broken his nose and the blood is coming so fast he’s gonna have trouble talking.
“That’s enough,” I say, fighting for calm. “You. Get the fuck up.” I point to an overturned chair about fifteen feet away. “Sit.”
Jase is making incoherent burbling noises as he drags himself over, rights the chair clumsily, and sits down.
“Tell me where to find Kane,” I bark.
“I don’t know,” he burbles automatically. I look over at Brick and Ghost and nod. They saunter over, and Jase’s eyes grow wide with comprehension. “I said I don’t know!” he screams. He scuffles at the floor with his feet, trying to move the chair away as he scrambles to stand. Brick grabs him and tosses him easily back into the chair.
“See, here’s the thing, Jase,” I growl, leaning in real close. “Your buddy Kane has Jude’s sister. You remember, her, don’t you? Well, it just so happens that Jewel belongs to me. So, basically, Kane stole from me.” I move forward another inch, and grab his face in mine. He winces as I squeeze my fingers into his jaw bone and twist. I feel the cartilage give a little, and keep twisting until I’m just short of breaking his jaw. Jase’s eyes are wild as he moans and squirms in his chair. “I get it. You think if you tell me where Kane is, he’ll kill you when he finds out. Well, the thing is, you’re already fuckin’ dead. You’ll die right here, if you don’t tell me.” I let the pressure off just a little bit. “And when I find Kane, I’m gonna kill him. So, the only chance you have of living is if you tell me where he is, and hope to hell I find him. Got me?”
Jase’s moans have turned to low, tortured whimpers. Tears stream down his cheeks. His eyes are locked on mine as he nods, his head barely moving against the pain. Satisfied, I let go of his jaw. He gasps and lets out a loud sob. “I know where they took her!” he chokes.
“I thought you might.”
When Jase tells us the address, Jude looks over at me in horror. “Holy shit. He’s going to kill her, Angel. He’s gonna fuckin’ kill her.”
Bile rises in my throat, but I push it back down. “Come on. Now!” I roar to the Lords. “Let’s go, before it’s too late!”
25
Jewel
The faded odor of rancid meat assaults my senses. Reminding me that soon, I’ll be nothing but decaying flesh myself.
When I came to, I was bound hands and feet on a steel table, my legs splayed apart. It didn’t take long to realize I was in some sort of meat processing facility. A locker, or a butcher shop. But from the smell, I’d guess it hasn’t been used as that in a long time.
Now, it’s just a torture chamber.
If I had more energy, I’d be screaming in terror. But the time for that was hours ago. Back when I still had hope that somehow, I might manage to get out of this place. Back before they started rewarding my screams by cutting and burning my flesh. Now, I just lie here and wait.
For Kane.
He hasn’t shown up yet. But the men who brought me here tell me he’s coming. I’m guessing that’s the reason they haven’t killed me: because he wants to do it himself.
My breathing is coming fast and shallow as I lie there in agony. I try to slow it, taking deep inhales against the pain and terror. The skin around my wrists and ankles is raw, but the sting feels far away, almost like it’s someone else’s body feeling it. The throb of my head is closer, a constant thrum that never goes away. My insides burn, like my organs have been branded by a hot poker. The pain is coming from so many directions that it’s difficult to think, almost impossible to focus.
I’ve heard that when the pain becomes too much, the human body will shut off the suffering by fainting. I’ve been waiting for that, praying for it, but it hasn’t happened yet.
The thud of steps manages to break through the haze in my brain. My heart rate spikes, and I resist the urge to vomit from fear. Somehow I know it’s Kane. I close my eyes, as though I can make him disappear through sheer force of will.
“Wakey wakey!” a strange, strangled-sounding voice calls. Something slams down hard on the steel table, making my body jolt in fright. “Come on, now, I know you’re not asleep!”
Panic forces the air from my lungs as I force my eyes open to look my murderer in the face. The man who looks back at me is angular, almost skull-like, with waxy skin and a long, ugly scar across his cheek and throat. His hair is shaved short and he’s dressed in black, so that apart from his face and his hands, he looks like a shadow. Like the grim reaper.
Tears spill from my red, puffy eyes and down my cheeks. I hear a sob escape from my throat, but it almost feels like someone else is crying. “Oh, there, there now,” Kane croons, making a strange sound that might be a laugh. He reaches over, strokes my cheek. Rough, scaly skin scrapes against mine. My stomach turns over in disgust and I wrench my face away.
“Why are you doing this?” I pant. “What did my brother ever do to you, other than decide he didn’t want to be part of your gang anymore?”
Kane makes the strange sound again. “It’s not your brother, darling. It’s Angel.” The last word comes out almost as a curse. “Your man disrespected me,” he continues in a vile, ominous tone. “He thinks he’s better than other people. Thinks he’s untouchable. Above everyone, and everything.”
“He’s not my man,” I manage to croak.
“I have to give you credit, darling. You’re trying. But it’s no use. I know you’re his. My people have seen you together. I know Jude is your brother. Why else would he care about one shitty little punk joining my Klan? You mean more to him than you’re letting on. That’s why I took you from him.”
“I’m nothing to Angel!” I rasp. “He was just trying to help me, but I’m not his! We’re not together!”
Kane squints at me dubiously, considering. “I doubt you’re telling me the truth, but even so. You may not be much more than a quick fuck to him, but I know Angel. I know he’s a prideful man. I know he’s got some sort of hero complex. It will destroy him to have his perfect self-image tarnished.” He chuckles. “And I am going to enjoy reminding him of it, over and over again.” He reaches over and caresses my cheek with one rough finger, then nods at me in satisfaction. “I’m going to fuck Angel’s little piece. And then, I’m going to send you back to him. In pieces.”
My head is all jumbled up. I can’t think straight. This is the end. He’s going to rape me, and then he’s going to kill me. I’ll never see anyone I know again. I’ll never get out of this room. I’ll never talk to Jude again, never have a family of my own. Never see Angel. Angel. The longing for him cuts through everything else. A low moan escapes me at the futility, the horror of it all. This is the last thing I’ll ever know. These men hurting me. This man touching me, violating me. Afterwards maybe cutting me up alive, piece by piece, to send to the man I love.
Kane reaches over to a cabinet and pulls out a metal object. I resist the urge to scream. He grabs at my shirt and pulls, and then I see it’s a pair of scissors. He cuts up the center and rips the rest of the fabric, until I’m exposed. He does the same to my skirt. He takes a step back, tsking. “You’re all bruised,” he murmurs in a sing-song voice. “Not very pretty at all. Still,” he shrugs, giving me a wide, crooked grin, “you’ll be much less pretty when I’m done with you.�
��
Kane makes a single cut to the leg of my panties. The cold metal brushes against my leg and I flinch. Tossing the scissors aside, he yanks them off and then takes hold of my legs, pulling my body roughly to the edge of the table. He licks his lips and locks his gaze onto mine. I squeeze my eyes shut and try not to scream, not to give him the satisfaction of hearing my agony.
“Eyes open!” he commands, and I do as he says, terrified of what will happen if I disobey.
Kane takes a step back, as if putting on a show for me. My eyes follow him in spite of myself, and I watch in horror and disgust as he begins to loosen his belt.
It’s over. There’s no way to stop it from happening. Inside my mind, I’m screaming, begging him to stop, but I can’t give him that. He won’t stop. I can’t fight him, but I won’t give him that. The only weapon I have left is my tongue, so I use it, and damn the rest.
“You’re doing this because you’re jealous!” I spit with as much energy as I have left. “You’re jealous you’re not as much of a man as Angel is! So you have to hurt a woman, instead of facing him yourself! You’re a pathetic waste of a man! An ugly, vile, disgusting piece of shit!”
Kane hits me across the face with the back of his hand. My head smashes hard against the metal table as fire explodes behind my eyes. It’s not enough to knock me unconscious; if he’d just hit me harder, maybe it could be.
“You little cunt!” He grabs me by the scalp and pulls my hair hard, ripping it from my scalp. The pain burns, radiating through my body like a wildfire. He tears harder, and the searing pain wrenches a wild, guttural cry from deep within me. He leans close, eyes full of loathing. I work my parched mouth and throat as hard as I can, and spit at his face, but I don’t even come close. It enrages him further, though, and somehow my brain short-circuits and I start laughing, crazily.
“You’re pathetic!” I cry hoarsely. “Go ahead and rape me if you can! I doubt if I’ll even feel it!”
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