A Demon's Soul

by E. C. Land

  Anabelle tilts her head to the side, and she gives me a pondering look. “Yeah, I suppose you have considering every girl you’ve been seen with always seems to have some feature to match Kenzie’s.”

  “What?” I sputter, shocked my little sister would take notice of something like this.

  Jesus.

  “Don’t what me. I may not have said anything before now. I may have let you both do your own thing, but I’m not dense, I knew you were it for each other. You look at her the same way Derick used to look at me,” Anabelle states, her voice hitches when she mentions Derick’s name.

  “I’m sorry,” I murmur as I move to sit next to her. “I wish I could take the pain of losing him away from you, Anabelle. I really do. Guts me to know this and not have known who he was.”

  Sighing, Anabelle lays her head on my shoulder. “You know, I barely remember Mom and Dad. I only know them now from the pictures and what you, Lisa, and Nick tell me about them. Uncle Justin never wants to talk about Dad for some reason.”

  My body stiffens at the mention of my uncle’s name coming from Anabelle’s mouth.

  “You talk to Uncle Justin?” I ask, inquisitively.

  “Well, yeah. Granted he’s not the best at raising kids, he was always nice to me and keeps up with what I’m doing. He even gave me five hundred dollars for a graduation present.”

  Fuck.

  Justin didn’t only have his claws in my woman but my sister too. Only with Anabelle it was in a different light than with Mackenzie and myself.

  “Anabelle, I need you to tell me exactly everything Uncle Justin did or talked about in your presence,” I say soft yet firmly so I wouldn’t freak her out.

  “He would ask me about my future what I had planned. We talked about the possibility of me going overseas for school but I didn’t want that, for the obvious reason you now know,” she shrugs.

  Weird.

  “Is that all he talked to you about?” I ask.

  “Pretty much,” Anabelle nods.

  Nodding, I press a kiss to the side of my sister’s head while I stand up from the bench. I pull my phone out about to call Gadget and see what his thoughts were on this information I’d just found out when it starts to vibrate.

  Glancing at the screen I see that it’s Bishop calling. I swipe my finger across the screen and put the phone to my ear. “What’s up, man?”

  “Hey, man, sorry to call you with this, need you, Tanner, and Hunter to get to the hospital. There’s been an accident.” My stomach plummets at Bishop’s news.

  “Fuck, what happened?” I demanded at the same time rushing toward Hunter and Tanner’s sections where they work when they’re not teaching lessons.

  “Don’t know, but it’s bad man, you guys need to get to the hospital,” he mutters.

  “Who?” My chest seizes as I wait for his answer which seem to take forever for him to answer.

  Tanner and Hunter must sense the tension pouring off me as I wait.

  “Chaz and Bethany, both.”

  Son of a bitch.

  “What about Mackenzie?”

  “No one else was in the truck, Lex. There’s evidence of someone having been in the backseat the seatbelt had been cut and the knife was laying on the floorboard.” It’s all I can do to listen any further and not throw my phone against the wall.

  The motherfucker has her. He finally made his move, and in the process, has hurt two people I fuckin’ see as family.

  “We’re on the way to the hospital, do me a favor, call Gadget for me or one of the other club members, tell them to meet me there.” I don’t wait for a response before ending the call. Meeting both my brothers’ eyes, I shake my head. “Chaz and Bethany are at the hospital.”

  “Fuck, let’s go,” Hunter says as Tanner yells out for Alexis to come on.

  I turn on my heel and head back through the front and do the same with Anabelle.

  “What’s going on?” Anabelle asks, quietly.

  “There’s been an accident we gotta go. Come on,” I state, not stopping as I make my way to the front door. I hold it open for her as I step through. Hunter, Tanner, and Alexis hot on her heels.

  No one says a word as I help Anabelle into the truck, Hunter climbing in behind her. Tanner and Alexis move to get in his car.

  Hopping in behind the wheel, I pull my keys out of my pocket and shove the key in the ignition and start my truck. Putting it in gear, I gun it and whip the truck around in the direction of the hospital, keeping my foot to the floor and don’t stop until I’m pulling up to the entrance of the emergency room.

  “Sir, you can’t park there,” the security guard says as I hop out of my truck.

  “Don’t give a damn, try me and you’ll find yourself flat on your back,” I snarl storming pass the rent-a-cop not giving him a chance to say another word.

  Moving to the nurses’ station, I step directly in front of the nurse sitting there, “Can I help you?”

  “Two people came in male and female, car accident,” I mutter.

  “Are you family?” she asks staring between the three of us as Hunter and Tanner step up next to me.

  “Yeah,” I grunt, to which she seems skeptical about.

  Turning to her computer she does something then looks back up. “If you’ll sit over in the waiting room the doctor will be right out to see you,” she stammers, nervously.

  What the fuck?

  “What aren’t you telling us?” Over the whole thing already, I snap.

  “I’m sorry, sir. I can’t tell you anything at this moment,” she states without meeting my eyes.

  “You want to explain that to us,” Hunter snarls.

  “Like I said, I’m sorry you’ll have to wait for the doctor to come out to see you.” My head is going to blow a fuse if she keeps this bullshit up. I’m sure there’s something she could have told us.

  “Lex, Hunter, Tanner,” The three of us turn from the nurses’ station at our names being called by Connors. Thank fuck for her. “Do as the lady said, I’ll go back and find out what’s going on,” she orders.

  “I’m sorry, but you aren’t allowed back there,” the nurse speaks up.

  “For your information, since you seem to be new around here, I’m Doctor Connors and I have privileges here at this hospital so I suggest you get off your high horse and show some manners toward the family members of the patients who were brought in.” Fuck me Connors is hot when pissed. No wonder Dragon and Gadget love the woman so much.

  Speaking of Dragon and Gadget they step up directly behind their woman in a protective stance.

  “I’m sorry, Doctor Connors,” the nurse murmurs as her shoulders droop.

  Nodding to the nurse, Connors looks in our direction and meets all of our gazes. “Go sit, I’ll be out when I know something, okay?”

  “Thanks, Connors,” the three of us say in unison.

  “No problem,” she murmurs before taking off to the back.

  Moving to the waiting area, I turn toward the rest of the men who joined us. “Justin has Mackenzie,” I say immediately.

  “Fuck,” Twister snaps. “Alright, do we know where he would go with her?”

  “I haven’t found any house or anything with his or any of his men’s names on it,” Gadget mutters.

  “What about my name?” Anabelle speaks up from beside me, her face pale as a ghost. Her gaze not on anyone but the group in general.

  “Belly?” K-9 calls out as he moves toward my sister.

  “Dylan?” she whispers, breathlessly.

  “Fuck, what are you doing here?” he demands.

  “She’s my sister,” I say. Did he not see her that day she’d come to the clubhouse when I’d brought Mackenzie in to see Connors? I knew he was there considering he’d flirted with Finley.

  “What the fuck? How come we didn’t know you had a brother?” K-9 asks.

  “Derick knew about my brother.” The pain in my sister’s voice guts me, but her words hit me in the chest as she looks up
at me. “Lex, this is Derick’s brother, Dylan,” she murmurs.

  “Oh fuck, does he know?” I mutter.

  “Know what?” K-9 grinds out.

  I watch K-9 as he focuses his attention on my sister as she presses her hands to her small bump and meets his gaze. “I’m pregnant.”

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck. Why didn’t you tell me before now?” he growls, stepping forward.

  “Umm, I . . . I don’t know,” she states slumping her shoulders.

  “Look, we’ll get back to this later. Anabelle sit down and tell me what you mean by if Gadget checked your name,” I command, speaking to her soothingly as to not stress her further.

  Alexis moves to sit next to her and holds her hand in hers.

  “Uncle Justin would ask me to sign some papers. Said the properties were given to me by Mom and Dad. I didn’t think to ask you about it, figured he’d already talked to you. That’s what he’d told me at least,” Anabelle murmurs. “W–Why would he take Mackenzie?”

  Almost immediately after she asks her question, Anabelle’s eyes widen, “It was him, wasn’t it? The one who hurt her.” Never underestimate my sister when it comes down to it. She’s smart as hell and quick to figure shit out when she wants to.

  “Yeah, Anabelle it was him. Later on, we’ll talk about it. For now, I need you to try and relax so we can find Mackenzie, can you do that for me?”

  Without speaking she meets my gaze and nods her head, then her eyes move toward K-9.

  Fuck, I hope there’s nothing to worry about there.

  Seems they know each other very well considering K-9 called her Belly.

  Damnit, I don’t have time for these thoughts.

  Turning to Gadget, I focus on him. “Any way we can find out if Justin has shit in her name?”

  “Already on it, Lex,” he mutters waving his phone in his hand.

  Good.

  I’m not liking the fact that my woman is in the hands of the devil right now.

  “Got it,” Gadget calls out just as Connors comes through the doors.

  “How are they?” Hunter asks first.

  “Bethany is in surgery now so they can deliver the baby. Chaz is awake; however, he looks pretty banged up has several broken ribs and one of his arms is broken. We don’t know about Bethany until after the baby is out. He’s priority right now,” Connors states.

  Oh shit. Chaz can’t lose Bethany. Not after the way he lost Melody’s mom.

  Turning to meet Tanner and Hunter’s gazes, I know they’re both having the same thoughts as myself. “You guys stay here, I’m going to go find Mackenzie. Don’t let Anabelle out of your sight, please.”

  Nodding, Tanner steps forward and pulls me into a hug, slapping his hand against my back. “Do what you have to do? Make it hurt and bring your girl here when you’re done. We’ll be here. We got this. You handle the rest.”

  “Thanks, Tan. I’ll text you when I’m on the way back,” I mutter and turn away from everyone but Gadget. “Where?”

  I don’t have to say another word.

  “Sent the address to your phone along with my brothers,” he grunts turning to Twister. “Prez, what do you want to do?”

  “I want five men here and the rest of us will go with Lex, find his woman and deal with this fucker. I want to make a statement with him. I’ve already called Finley, she knows what the deal is and has also agreed to all our terms as she takes over Justin’s businesses,” Twister growls.

  Nodding my head, I don’t wait around anymore. I pull my phone out of my pocket, study the address, and know exactly where it is. The hunting cabin that belonged to my dad. Justin said he’d sold all the properties that were in my parents’ names. I’m betting the beach house is also in my sister’s name as well. If he’s not here he’d have to be there, I’m sure of it.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Mackenzie

  “Chattel, why did you have to go against me?” Justin snaps as he brings the belt down on my back once more.

  From the moment we entered the cabin, Justin began raining blows on my body.

  “I own you, Mackenzie. You are not to give this body to anyone but me when I command it,” he snarls, my body jerks at the impact of the belt coming down once more.

  “Do you know I had everything set up? Only to have everything start going to shit.” I hear the belt drop to the floor at the same time Justin yanks my head back by my hair. “I had it all set up. Anabelle had a buyer waiting in Scotland for her, but she refused to go overseas when I offered to send her there for college. Granted it was only a ploy to get her there. She was never going to school. Sucks her boyfriend ended up with a bullet in his head, but he had to be taken out of the equation for me to get her. Then I find out she’s knocked up. A complete waste of a body at that point. She was now useless to me.”

  “I still had you though, I had plans for the two of us. And intend to follow through with them. We’re leaving tomorrow, Marco will be handling the businesses for me. You and I are gonna disappear for a while, chattel.”

  “It’s a shame I’m going to have to put a bullet in my nephew’s head because of you. He and I had a fine arrangement until he took you from me. No one takes from me. Sure, he was paying me to keep my hands off you,” he chuckles, the grip on my hair tightens as he runs his free hand along my jaw line. “You two are so in love with each other, you were blinded to know I was playing you both. Remember this, chattel. I get what I want, always. I wanted my brother out of the way so that I could have his wife. Didn’t know she was in the car with him that night. So, I decided to take their kids and extort what I wanted out of them.”

  “You give Lex a run for his money but gotta say, sweetheart, your body is much better for my tastes.” Oh God, I’m going to be sick. Lex has told me some stuff, but I thought it was all the physical. Not sexual. Now I know he knew exactly what I’d been through because he’d experienced it firsthand.

  “Fuck you.” I find the courage to grind out as I meet his demonic eyes.

  “Don’t worry, Mackenzie, I know you’ve missed my cock. I intend to give it to you all night long. Now either strip the clothes off or I rip them off. I do it then you get on the plane in the morning naked,” he declares.

  “How about neither?” I snap and try to jerk from his grasp.

  This must surprise him considering he releases my hair.

  “You want to fight me. Come on. I’ll enjoy breaking you all over again. You didn’t put up much of a fight the first time, but I have a feeling you will this time,” he grins as he stands in front of me, arms held out at his sides.

  As I back away from him the roar of engines vibrates the entire place.

  “Fuck,” Justin snaps and reaches for me, pulling my body against his. I struggle against him until I feel something pressed against my temple. “Go ahead and fight me, I’ll pull the trigger the moment he enters the place, then put one in his head before they can do shit to me.”

  I close my eyes to keep the tears from being able to spill from them. I have to stay strong. Lex is coming, I know it. So does Justin, it’s why he’s gone completely insane.

  Justin jerks me with him and I open my eyes. His grip tightens around my waist as he shoves the gun harder against my head while moving to stand in the middle of the room at the same time the door is kicked in.

  Lex strolls into the cabin as if he were invincible. His eyes seem to flare with a fire I have never seen before when he sets his sights on me.

  “Let her go, Justin,” Lex snarls, the corner of his lip curling into a sneer.

  “Not happening, nephew. Mackenzie belongs to me. I own her. All of her,” Justin hisses.

  “Fucker, I suggest you let the girl go. It’s over for you.” This came from a man who had leader written all over him. From the way he spoke to the way he carried himself in a situation, to the gun aimed not for me but for Justin. I knew from the look in his eye he wouldn’t miss his mark if need be. The question though, is whether or not, Justin’s gun would go
off taking me with him.

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Twister, it will never be over for me.” As Justin rants on, I slant my gaze over to Lex again and find he’d moved a few steps toward Justin and I. His eyes speak to me in a language I don’t know but can feel inside me. He’s about to do something. Something that might be a good thing or not.

  Just as this thought runs through my head, he makes his move, tackling the two of us to the floor. I scream in pain as something scorches my ear.

  Justin’s hold finally leaves my body as I’m ripped from the tangle of the two men as Lex slams his fist into his uncle’s face.

  “Come on, Mackenzie, let’s get you out of here. You need medical attention from the looks of the side of your face and the blood seeping through the back of your shirt,” Dragon says. I’d met him once when Connors had come over. Him and his twin brother stayed and hung out while their ol’ lady and I talked.

  “I don’t want to leave him,” I murmur.

  “Got no choice, babe. Lex would be pissed if you didn’t get seen asap. Don’t worry, your man will be okay,” Dragon states as he pushes me into Lex’s truck and runs to the other side, tossing something in the air to another man. “Tell Lex to bring my bike to the hospital when he’s done here.”

  Nodding the guy heads toward the cabin, as Dragon backs down the lane. Taking me away from the one person I felt most safe with. My only assurance being that Lex trusts these men and by him trusting them, I know I can as well.

  Epilogue

  Lex

  Seeing the gun to Mackenzie’s head as I stormed into the cabin, will forever be burned into my mind. I’ll never be able to get it out. Because of me she became a target for my uncle.

  “How do you want him?” Twister asks as I pull away from the unconscious dickwad.

  Thorn and Horse step forward and both reach down to grab an arm to haul Justin off the floor.

  “Let’s hang him from the rafters here in the center of the room. I’m sure there’s rope or something we can use around here,” I growl.