Relentless (Skulls Renegade Book 4)

by Elizabeth Knox

  That is how much time passed before I heard from Bellamy, her voice shaky and broken with every word that she spoke.

  It took me five hours to figure out where she was, somewhere in the Northern part of New York state. When I walked through the hospital doors I didn’t bother asking a nurse for help, they stared and immediately viewed me as a disturbing visitor. I walked around every corner of that Emergency Department looking for her. Eventually I found her, right after a security guard made the mistake of putting a hand on me.

  If it wasn’t for her running right into my arms, I don’t know what I would have done. I might have killed him.

  “He’s my boyfriend, it’s alright. Thank you for your concern, Sir,” she assures him, her watchful eyes peering past my shoulder to see that he’s let us be.

  “Jesus, Bell. What on Earth happened?” I asked, taking in her features. Her face is swollen, a puffy combination of red patches of yellow and blue. She bites her bottom lip, not looking up at me. “Sugar, talk to me,” I plead and beg with her. There’s not a bone in my body that would blame her for not wanting to talk to me about this. Fuck. I should have been there. I should have never of left that damn bus the way that I did. If I didn’t, nothing would have happened. She would’ve been safe.

  Fuck.

  This is all my fault.

  “We were attacked…,” she starts off, telling me the grueling story of her abuse with Slash, how Chuckles, that motherfucker, hurt them both. He won’t live another day when I get my hands on him. That’s for fucking sure. Bell doesn’t leave out any details, telling me how a woman named Boss, who I know to be the Iron Vex MC’s Prez, helped get the two of them out. Why did that happen? Why in the hell would Boss help them leave when one of her men did this to them? The story gets worse as I hear about what Chuckles did to Slash. The doctors don’t know too much, but they had to sedate him in order to even clean out his wounds. There were talks of skin grafts and multiple surgeries but given the extent of the damage to the left side of his face, they won’t know for quite a while. The surgical process is going to be anything but easy. It could take years, that’s what they told her.

  “I feel so bad for him. God. I can’t believe this happened…,” she tells me as I take her over to a quiet corner in an empty waiting room. I slip my hand over hers and pull her gently over my lap, making her lean on me, making sure that she’s wrapped in my arms.

  I don’t ever want to let her go, not when she’s like this – right where she’s always fucking belonged.

  “Sugar, things like this happen whether we want them to or not. The only thing that we can do right now is be here for him with whatever he needs.”

  “I know, I just never expected anything like this to happen.”

  “We don’t expect a lot of things, but they still happen.”

  Bell brings her head back off of my shoulder and looks at me square in the eye. “I was terrified. I didn’t know what to do, or if I was going to ever see you again. I thought I was going to die in that barn.” Slowly tears slide from the corner of her eyes, down her cheeks.

  Never in my life have I felt more like a disappointment then at this very moment. I was supposed to be the one that stood by her, that didn’t give up, that would never leave her, and what did I do? I left. I let my anger get the best of me and walked out of that door. I failed her in every way I promised myself I wouldn’t.

  I take my forehead and press it against her own. At this point, we’re both crying for completely different reasons. I feel like the world’s biggest disappointment, and her tears are out of fear for her life. The salty mixture hits our lips at the same time. “I will never let anything happen to you like this ever again. Do you understand that? I failed you, and you have no idea how much regret I will live with the rest of my life for not being here for you when you needed me.”

  “Promise m-me.” Her voice cracks as she speaks, the series of events taking an obvious toll on her emotionally.

  I snake my hand around the back of her neck and hold on, pressing my lips both softly but firmly against hers. “I will never fucking leave you again. You are stuck with me, Bellamy Mason, whether your perfect ass likes it or not. You are my woman, my fucking Sugar. You are the woman I am going to die with, the one who gives me the two kids I want, the one whose hand I put a ring on and whose ass I brand as mine. You got that?”

  “Yes,” she whispers quickly, just before she kisses the fucking daylights out of me.

  Nothing, there has never been anything more that I’ve wanted then what’s right in front of me.

  This girl is everything to me. I can only hope that I’m the same for her.

  Chapter 27

  Life is about finding people who are your kind of crazy. -Anonymous

  Bellamy

  Two days had passed, and the first opportunity Butch had to take me to Tennessee he did. I tried to argue with him, telling him that Slash needed us there to support him. I tried and failed, miserably. He made sure that a couple of the guys took our place as Slash’s support system, and boy did that make me mad. Over the past few weeks, Slash has become like a brother to me. No way did I want to leave him in that hospital alone. It felt wrong, every part about it just felt so wrong. I didn’t have much of a choice, though. When Butch wanted his way, he made sure that he damn well got it.

  Somehow, deep down I knew it wasn’t just him who wanted me back at the club. Elena was written all over this, even if I still don’t know her that well. The woman is bossy, and just like Butch, something tells me that she always gets what she wants.

  When we arrived at the club Elena was the first person I saw. The concern written all over her face was a little bit surprising to me. We’d only known each other for a few weeks and yet she cared so much for me. If the roles were reversed, I know I would feel the exact same way she is right now.

  “Are you hurt?” she asks me, wrapping her arms around me in a soft and light hug. I have to say, I’m doing pretty good. After my meltdown with Butch in the waiting area, I knew that I needed to be strong. I should be thankful that it wasn’t worse. I needed to be thankful for that. So, I would. I was lucky.

  Elena takes my arm and leads me back into Reed’s office, the door shuts quietly behind the two of us as she leads us over to one of the couches. We sit down, the door opening again. When I look up, I see both Reed and Butch joining us. Butch makes it a point to sit right next to me, pulling me as close as he possibly can. Reed chuckles, no doubt at Butch and his caveman ways. He always figures out a way to make sure that he lets everyone know who I belong to – him.

  “You need to tell us everything that happened. I already heard it once from him, I just need you to elaborate,” Elena tells me, her voice is soft, almost as if she’s tip toeing around my feelings. I’m not some broken little girl who is going to break into a million pieces. I have never been. My parents’ deaths made sure to turn me into the strongest woman I could be, even at such a young age.

  I start off slowly, a little aggravated that I have to tell this tale to someone else. She may be my sister, out of concern needing to have all the details, but recollecting what happened over and over again isn’t easy. It’s a nightmare.

  I tell her about the man named Chuckles and how Boss helped me get Slash into that truck, basically helping me save his life. I told her what I learned about Slash contributing to a woman’s death, adding that I don’t think he did it, because I don’t, and even if he did – I knew that there was a reason. Never would I ever believe him to be the type of man who is capable of murdering a woman in cold blood.

  “I’m so sorry that this happened to you. I tried so hard to make sure you were protected at all times. No matter how much I did, there is always going to be that possibility of something happening, Bellamy, and you need to know that. I hate to even say this, but you need to make a decision if our relationship is even worth the dangers that it brings, and I can’t make that decision for you.”

  I take in what she’
s saying. It makes my heart all warm and fuzzy that Elena would even give up our relationship to make sure I’m safe, but like she said, it’s my decision. “You could have the whole world at your back and I’d still want you to be my sister.”

  Elena softly smiles, brushing her hair back with her hand. “Well, we’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for. What do you say we go hang out at Bubba’s?”

  She didn’t have to ask me twice.

  Bubba’s was essentially becoming my home away from home.

  The night went on quickly, drink after drink being poured by the girls manning the bar. I lost count on how many Moscow Mules I drunk. The last time I remember I was on six, but something tells me I’m almost double that now. Luckily, I’ve always been the kind of girl that could hold her liquor.

  I sat in a booth with Jenna, Elena, Maria, and Michelle, the only person missing is Daisy, who’s basically the equivalent of Elena’s best friend. She’s at home with her boyfriend, Seamus and their son, Ryder.

  I find myself learning more and more about each of the girls that I’m surrounded with. They are each so similar, yet different. This makes me really think about why they’re so close. Their bond is beautiful, and I can only hope that one day I’ll fit into their puzzle.

  Each of them fans out, one after the other they find their men, and I see them leave. Jenna and I are the last two in Bubba’s, both Dmitri and Butch sitting next to each other at the bar.

  I walk over to him, sliding my arms around his waist and lean my head against his shoulder. “Can we go home?” I ask, looking up at him.

  He nods, standing from the barstool, taking my hand and leading me over to the dance floor. Old Dominion’s ‘Written in the Sand’ played over the speakers, he took my hands, bringing them over his neck and slid his hands over my waist, pulling me closer to him with every sway.

  “I’ve wanted to do this for a long ass time, Sugar,” he mutters, his voice a dark, low whisper.

  “No one was stopping you,” I point out, sassy as all heck.

  “You’re damn right about that.”

  Neither of us says much for the next minute or so, listening to the music, moving with the beat, content in our silence.

  There’s something I’ve wanted to tell him for a bit, and finally, right at this moment, I have the courage. My heart pounds in my chest, just from the pure anticipation of what I’m about to say. “You asked me what I was looking for that night. I told you I was looking for Elena, that I wanted a sister more than anything, and it was true. But there was something I didn’t tell you, Abe. I was looking for more than just my sister. I was looking for a home, and I found you.”

  He presses a soft kiss to my forehead, nose, and lastly, a lingering one on my lips. The man sure knows how to make me swoon.

  “You sure as hell got it, Sugar.”

  Epilogue

  The beauty of darkness lets you dance on its rhythmic waves. -Shaikh Hajra

  Bellamy

  It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a month.

  Every morning when I wake up I’m shocked beyond belief that this is my life. That I wake up to a man who adores me beyond belief, that my rising music career has only been doing just that – taking off, and the fact I have the most adorable little puppy named Mia, who isn’t exactly that little anymore.

  I roll over onto Butch, who’s playing one of those stupid shooter games on his phone. “Sugar, what have I told you about that?”

  “And what have I told you about this?” I toy with him, pulling off my Skulls Renegade tank, leaving myself completely bare.

  “Mine.” My caveman still has it.

  Butch grabs my shorts, pushing them off to the side and quickly shoves himself inside me. I gasp, adjusting to his size. The man has it all, length and girth, and boy does he know how to use it. I take the phone out from his hands and toss it into the corner of his room. He growls lowly at me and I can tell that while he hated what I just did, he freaking loved every second of it.

  Pushing down on my hips he fucks me like he never has before, taking everything that he possibly can. “Stop taking those fucking pills,” he grunts, I huff at the conversation that’s about to unfold. We’ve gone over it time and time again. I’m not doing it.

  “No. We’re not having a baby,” I tell him. He pumps into me, grinding his cock right against my center, making me shake on top of him.

  “Yes, we are. You just haven’t let up yet.”

  “No! We aren’t!” I hiss, moaning out the last bit as we match each other’s pace. Both starting to unfold in a sea of pleasure.

  “You’re going to have my fucking kids, woman.” I couldn’t argue with him there. I’d give him anything he wanted, it was plain as day to see. Butch has done something no other has, he’s made me feel alive, a sense of comfortableness that I thought I could never, ever have again.

  We may be so different, but there is no denying that we were made for each other.

  “I promise you, you will get what you want, just not right this second,” I mutter, pulling his shirt towards me, slamming my lips against his own.

  He bites me hard. “I get whatever the fuck I want, and don’t you forget that.”

  Yep. This man is all mine.

  ***

  Thanksgiving was nothing less than interesting. Each one of us has a specific task, I knew how to make quite a bit of desserts so that was my designated duty. However, when you really think about it – I was the lucky one. Only did I get to start prepping two days before Thanksgiving with my handmade pies and cakes. Everyone else had to slave away in the kitchen yesterday and today. If you ask me, I got away scot free.

  Pumpkin, Pecan, Cherry, and Lemon were the pies requested. I went up to Elena last week and asked her just how many pies I should make. The way she laughed at my face when I told her I was thinking one of each, well, that was quite the reality check. I ended up making three of each pie, I figured that would feed everyone. Never did I think that Seamus would grab two entire pies for himself. I should’ve seen that one coming. Dmitri and Jenna ended up splitting a cherry to themselves and well, the rest was quite similar. I’m just happy that I had a good idea of mixing up the desserts and not just baking pies. My mom’s famous apple crumble cake and peach cobbler were amongst the yummies that I created. It didn’t matter, though, by the time dinner was over there was no sweet left in sight.

  We laughed at every joke a brother made, shared embarrassing stories and moved into the common area of the clubhouse for drinks afterward. This was no average Thanksgiving, but we were family in our own way.

  Butch had me on his lap, rubbing my thigh softly as Enzo told us joke after joke. The man was hysterical, especially after a little alcohol got in his system and he let loose a bit.

  I glance around the room looking for someone, the one person that I haven’t seen since yesterday. He wasn’t at dinner, and it bothered me. No, maybe upset me is more like it. Slash and I went through something together that no human being should ever have to go through. While I was lucky, he took the brunt of the torture that day. The entire left side of his face is marred beyond recognition, and while the doctors tried to use skin grafts to repair the damage – they could only repair so much.

  To be blunt, it looks like Slash got into a fight with a pissed off grizzly bear.

  He didn’t just lose his eye that day, he lost so much more than that.

  I lean off Butch, immediately he grabs my hand and I turn back to look at him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I need to go talk to him. He didn’t come to dinner, and I haven’t seen him all day,” I comment lowly, hoping that no one is being nosy today.

  He gives me a knowing look, and before he even speaks I know what he’s going to say. “You can’t coddle him. He’ll either get over what happened, or he won’t. It’s not up to you to bring him back from his darkness. Each one of us here has dealt with our fair share of shit, and we all deal with it in our own way. He needs to b
e alone right now, so just let him be alone.”

  I think long before I respond to my boyfriend. While he is right – everyone deals with things in their own way, he’s wrong in this case, and deep down he knows it. “Slash has been alone for his entire life. The last thing he needs right now is for people to think we don’t care, and that’s what you’re doing by not being there for him.”

  I kiss Butch softly on the lips before I make my way through the clubhouse back down the hallway until I reach Slash’s room. I don’t bother to knock, knowing that if I do he either won’t answer or will tell me to leave him alone.

  When I open the door, I see him laying down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He doesn’t look at me as he speaks. “Go back out there and enjoy dinner.”

  “It’s almost nine. It’s way past dinner.”

  “Oh.” It’s the only response I get out of him. I look over him slowly, seeing how he’s changed over the past few weeks. He’s no longer the catty man who’d throwback smart aleck responses like it was nothing. He’s now closed himself off, to practically everyone except me.

  “You can’t sit around here and mope forever you know,” I offer, with a small smile as I walk towards his bed and sit down on the edge. “You gotta come out of here sometime.”

  “I’ll come out when I feel like it,” he grumbles.

  I grab his forearm and pinch him, and he smacks my hand away and glares at me.

  “Stop being a dick,” I hiss.

  “Stop trying to make me do shit that I don’t want to do. Why can’t you just leave me alone like everyone else does? I want to be alone. What I don’t want is you bugging me all the damn time about moving forward and all the bullshit that comes with it.”

  “Fine. You want the tough love? I’ll freaking give it to you,” I snap, rising from the bed I stare at him, my heated blood boiling through every vein in my body. He’s just pissed me off, and I’m not about to sugar coat anything for him anymore. “We were kidnapped and tortured. I know because I was there, in case you fucking forgot. I watched everything that he did to you, that fucked with my head, it hurt my damn heart having to watch. You are one of my closest friends, Slash. Seeing you have to go through that wasn’t easy for me, but I promised myself that day that I wouldn’t allow you to do what you’re doing right now. No way in hell was I gonna let you close yourself off to everyone around you who loves you. I promised myself that I’d help you get through this, and I will. Even if you fight me every step of the way, I am going to be here. Be a dick, or don’t. You’re stuck with me regardless. Everyone wants to see you, c’mon.” I grab his hand and tug lightly, he rips his hand away from my own, leaning up on the bed he glares at me and laughs.