Dakota headed for the back room—she’d wait it out on her bed, listen to music, try to ease the sense of dread that had filled her the second she looked out the peephole. On her way to the bedroom, the front door jiggled, and then the door swung open.
Her mouth fell open and she ran for the bedroom, heart leaping into her throat. Panic made her wobbly and blind but she darted into the bedroom, half-closing the door behind her, and tried to sneak into the closet as quietly as she could.
Heavy footsteps fell in the main area of the apartment. She grimaced as she squeezed into the closet, doing her best not to jangle the metal hangers or stub her toe against the wall. She crouched down into the dark space on the other side of the closet, eyes pinched shut as she awaited the outcome to the most horrible game of hide-and-seek she’d never wanted to be a part of.
“Dakota?” Ray’s voice sounded foreign and gruff inside Red’s apartment. She shivered, crouching tighter. Please don’t let him find me.
Footsteps came closer; heavy boots that bore the trademark of a horror movie. Her bedroom door creaked open and she winced, waiting for something, waiting for that horrible moment of discovery.
Thud. Thud. His footsteps came closer to the closet, and she could almost hear him breathing, unless that was her own breath. The closet door jiggled and moved; she froze, sending up every last fervent prayer that she had, and waited.
The closet door slid open, a shaft of light slowly revealing more and more of the closet space until the shaft touched her.
She gulped, looking up, finding the dark, hard gaze of Ray waiting for her…the sardonic smile on his face sending her stomach into a freefall.
“Gotcha.” Ray’s grin turned toothy and he grabbed her by the arm, ripping her out of the closet and to her feet. Her shoulder banged against the wall as he forced her up and she whimpered, raising her palms in surrender.
“Ray, I don’t know what you want, but leave me out of it.”
“I want you,” he hissed, his sour breath reeking of alcohol. He brought his face close to her, dark eyes darting like a snake. “And it’s time for you to come with me.”
His fist connected with the side of her head and she plummeted to the ground, her cheek hitting the hard carpet. She blinked, her vision growing blurry, a protest burbling in the farthest reaches of her mind. She tried to push herself to sitting but couldn’t get the signal to her arms.
Another blow landed at her temple, and then everything went gray.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Bo rolled a bottle of beer back and forth between his palms. He’d been nursing this thing for over an hour, and still had half left. He liked the quiet solitude of having a beer—it combined nicely with the sappy music he’d put on, like an angst-ridden homage to Dakota. If only she were at his side sharing a beer…if only he could find out what the fuck had happened to her.
He took a sad pull at his beer. It had gone warm a half hour ago, but he should finish it, at least. His phone vibrated with a call and he fished it out of his pocket, eyebrows shooting up when he noticed the caller was Red.
He answered it on the fourth ring. “What’s up?”
“Bo.” She was breathless. “I need your help.”
Her tone made his belly take a nose dive. “Red, what’s wrong?”
“I have a lot to tell you but you can’t get mad. You have to promise me you won’t get mad.”
Bo pinched the bridge of his nose. So this was going to be some bad news. “Fine. What is it?”
Red sighed. “I…Shit. I don’t know where to start.”
“Just start,” he commanded gruffly. Every second spent waiting for an answer sent him deeper into a panic.
“Bo, I’ve been lying to you. Dakota was with me.”
The phone slid partway down the side of his face before he caught it. Relief and outrage trickled through him, and he wanted to laugh. Thank the fucking lord. And somehow, he’d known it all along. “Jesus. I fucking knew it.”
“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you. She just didn’t want you to know. I had to listen to her, Bo, you know? She’s my girl. I want her to be happy. I just—”
“I get it. Now what happened?”
“Well she’s gone now. I left her at home this morning when I went to work and when I get home, my apartment door is busted open and hanging wide open and she’s gone.”
Bo sat up, heart racing. “Jesus Christ. What else?”
“My apartment is fine. They didn’t take anything…just her.”
“So she was kidnapped?” He rubbed at his forehead. It had to be Demon Seed. There was no other option.
“She was. But here’s the thing—I know who did it.”
“How?”
“A while back, Tony was telling me I needed to install security cameras, because of my neighborhood and all. And after he got on my case enough about it, I finally did it. I installed a camera by the front door. I checked the footage as soon as I was home and I got a clear shot of the guy.”
Bo swallowed knot in his throat. He was afraid to know, but already had a strong guess. “Tell me who.”
“It was Ray.”
Bo let the phone slip onto the table and he slammed a fist into his hand. Rage pumped through him, and he had to slow his breaths to see straight again. He picked the phone up again, muttering a string of curse words.
“I’m gonna go find her,” he said, his voice coming out raw. “I fucking promise. But don’t you do anything about this. Just get your door fixed and hang tight. Come to the clubhouse if you don’t feel safe.”
Red sighed. “Thanks, Bo. Just find our girl. I’m so sorry about all of this, I just want her to be safe.”
“Trust me, I’ll find her, and I’ll make sure Ray never meddles in anything again. This is war.”
Bo hung up the phone, squeezing it between his hands as he sifted through roiling, angry thoughts. Already he could see the way his fist would connect with Ray’s face the second he got ahold of him. Could already feel the visceral relief of punching his brains out, and then shooting him in the crotch just to make it a little worse before he took his last gasp.
Bo pocketed his phone and stormed through the clubhouse, calling all the brothers to a meeting. Turbo and Marty trickled in, confusion etched on their faces. A few moments later Yeti showed, and some of the prospects.
“Meeting. Now.” Bo strode to the door of the sanctuary, pushing it open with a flourish. His brothers filed in quietly behind him, settling into their normal spots. Bo pressed his palms against the wooden tabletop, struggling to control his careening thoughts so he could present a half-coherent address.
Once most of the brothers assembled, inquisitive eyes forced him to begin.
“Ray kidnapped Dakota.” His nostrils flared as he battled a new wave of rage. He balled his hands into fists. “Red just called me, told me she caught him on tape breaking into her apartment today and taking Dakota with him.”
“Jesus,” Turbo said, brows knit into a line. “We’ve gotta find them.”
“You’re damn right we do.” Bo slammed his fist into the table. It didn’t relieve even an ounce of the anger pumping through his veins. “And this means war. We are launching a full-scale war against Demon Seed. He’s been an operative on their behalf for too damn long, and it’s time we wiped out this problem once and for all. It’s on, today, starting now.” He slammed his fist into the table again and looked at each of his brothers for confirmation. “Take a vote?”
The group nodded and Bo began. “Everyone in favor of launching war against Demon Seed say ‘aye’.”
One by one, every member voiced their agreement. When it came back to Bo, he said “Aye” and slammed the gavel against the table.
“Let’s go find Dakota,” he said, “And make sure this pitiful excuse for an MC never steps on our toes like this again.”
His club brothers followed in his wake, and he grabbed for his jacket before striding outside to hop on his bike. “We’ll check her apartme
nt first, and then we’ll head to the Demon Seed headquarters if we have to.” He snapped the strap of his helmet, sliding his Aviators on against the husky evening sun. He made the bike roar to life, the rest of his brothers’ bikes rumbling in turn behind him. He waited until everyone was suited and ready before zooming off down the parking lot of the clubhouse, heading for the street.
This shit came to an end today.
***
Dakota’s eyes fluttered open and the familiarity of her surroundings was an odd relief. Beige walls, dingy carpet, the small kitchen that had been the place where she and Bo bonded over avocados and so much more. She blinked a few times, trying to think past the pounding in her head. But why was she here? Hadn’t she left this place?
Bo. Where are you?
She straightened and froze, finding her wrists stuck together behind her. And why was she on the floor? She glanced down and tried to open her mouth, but that, too, was stuck. What the fuck is going on here? Clarity made painful steps across her pounding skull and a fragment came back to her. Red’s apartment. The punch.
Ray.
He sat at the far edge of the room on the arm rest of a chair, smiling at her like this was some sort of game. He swung a gun by the trigger, his seedy grin widening into something that made the bile rise in her throat.
“Awake, finally.” His voice was eerily calm, like he was trying to pretend to be a concerned father instead of her kidnapper. She struggled against the bonds at her wrists, her voice muffled as she attempted a response. He’d tied her up good, however he’d done it. You motherfucker.
“I thought this might be a good place to settle, for now.” He came to standing, still swinging the gun. “Just until I figure out how to dispose of you. These are important matters, after all. I can’t just kill Bo’s old lady and expect that to be enough. Oh, no. I need to make it perfect for that man. So he really gets a feel for how much I fucking detest the very sight of him.”
Dakota struggled to speak, her pleas coming out muffled against the duct tape. Kill Bo’s old lady? This game had gone too far. But Bo truly was the only solution, any way she looked. And goddamnit, did she want Bo to show up and save the hell out of her. Tears pricked at her eyes and she slumped against the wall, watching Ray with blurry vision.
“This wouldn’t have been an issue, you see, if Bo hadn’t meddled where he never needed to meddle.” Ray strutted closer, the swinging gun like a metronome. “He’s forced my hand. First he kicked me out of the club…basically drove me to Demon Seed, since it was my only way off the streets.” Ray laughed bitterly. “My only shot at having a family again. Do you even know what that’s like?”
Dakota drew a deep breath, averting her gaze. The poor fucker needed an audience so badly he’d kidnapped someone to listen to him. And then would kill her afterward. What a fucked-up attempt at a memoir.
“Tony never accepted me, not since we were kids. That’s always stung, but I’ve loved him anyway. He was my brother. The only one I had. Until Bo took him from me.”
Dakota glared at Ray. That was blatantly untrue. She tried to scream the truth, that Demon Seed had killed Tony, not Bo. Ray smiled sweetly, like listening to a child’s explanation of why they’d chosen colors for a drawing.
“I know Bo didn’t kill Tony with his own hands, but he killed him because of his irresponsible actions. He killed him, because he killed Demon Seed’s president. So while Demon Seed went back to right that wrong, Tony was caught in the crosshairs. But what nobody understands—least of all anybody from that fucking ridiculous Burning Angels girl scout camp—is that Bo started everything. It’s always been him.”
Dakota struggled against her bonds, trying to get a feel for how they were wrapped. Ray kicked at her hands and she cried out against the duct tape, tears pricking her eyes.
“Don’t try to break free,” he warned, his voice turning acidic. He went over to the couch, leaning against the back. “How long do you think it’ll take before Bo notices you’re gone?”
She glared at him through tear-blurred eyes.
“Well, that’s okay. Maybe you don’t know. I came prepared for the long haul. Hopefully he even gives a damn about you.” Ray laughed bitterly. “That would really fuck up my plan if you’re just the flavor of the week.”
Dakota rested her head against the wall, looking toward the windows. Goddamnit Bo…come find me. I need you. Tears tightened her throat and she tried her hardest to avoid Ray, to not see him altogether. Like somehow it might make the worrisome reality less pungent without seeing his snide, evil face.
Ray pushed the couch sideways, so it faced her sitting against the wall. He sat down, gun trained at her. She stared at the barrel, panic rising in her chest.
He wouldn’t kill her before Bo got here. He couldn’t. She swallowed the bile rising in her throat, sweat coating her palms. Ray lowered the gun, setting it on the grimy couch cushion. Her entire apartment seemed to have developed a layer of filth in the two weeks she’d been gone; like her mere absence sent it into further decay, turned it into something she couldn’t find home in anymore.
“Bo better show up,” Ray muttered, more to himself than to her. Dakota rested her head against the wall, staring out toward the window. Her racing heart made it hard to breathe through her nose, and panic made frequent surges. What if she couldn’t get enough air? What if she suffocated just from being gagged? She pinched her eyes shut.
“So. We should use this time to get to know each other, shouldn’t we?” Ray’s voice cut like a chainsaw through the air. He’d always been off-putting, but Dakota never knew just how loathsome he really was. He’d hidden his evilness—or illness, whatever it was—behind the tousle-haired façade of a motorcycle mechanic who seemed always just a little bit lost in life.
Dakota shook her head.
“Oh, you don’t want to get to know each other?” His voice rang with fake pity. “Well too bad. This is the perfect time to get closer. While we wait for Bo to show up.” His lips curled into a sneer. “Provided he shows. Stupid prick should have shown up by now, don’t you think? If he really cared about you, that is.” He laughed, springing up from the, couch, leaving the gun on the cushion. “So let’s see what you’ve got hiding here, lady.”
Ray came up to her and tore the sides of her blouse apart, buttons popping off everywhere. She froze, too scared to fight back and too shocked to move. Dread slunk through her limbs, stealthy fast and paralyzing, making her leaden. Ray sneered, nodding. Her head screamed at her, telling her to find a way to get away, but her body wasn’t hers all of a sudden.
“Yeah, that looks nice.” He bit at his bottom lip, sizing up her rack like it was a shiny new car or a steak dinner. She gulped, looking away. Please Bo. Come save me. Please save me from this lecherous man.
She’d never felt so helpless in her entire life. If this was part of Ray’s plan to hurt Bo, then her own wishes, or pain, or anything of that sort wouldn’t even register to him. She was just a pawn. Emotion clogged her throat and her nostrils flared as she struggled to breathe.
“Oh, come on. This will be nice.” He smoothed his hand over her shoulder. “Maybe we should make you more comfortable first.”
She glared at him when he reached for her elbow and his face went stern. “Don’t act like you don’t want this. I saw the way you looked at me in the studio those times I went in there.”
Protests and insults ran through her head like a marquee. She’d never looked at him more than to say hello or goodbye—the man was living in a fantasy world. This man is dangerous, and unhinged. But maybe you can use this to your advantage.
Her mind raced as he yanked her to standing by the elbow. He shoved her forward toward the couch, cackling as she stumbled. He shoved her by the shoulder into a sitting position and he loomed above her, licking his parched lips.
“Now this is going to be really fun.” He grabbed at the back of her head, lining her head up to his groin. “Yeah, this is perfect. It’ll be even better wh
en we make Bo watch it.”
A few tears trickled out of her eyes. What the fuck could she do from here? The only thought that came to her was pretending to be into giving him a blowjob, so he’d take the tape off—but then what? Actually suck his disgusting penis? She shuddered at the thought. Though, if she could get him to do it, she could bite him, hard, maybe be in enough pain she could run. But if she tried that and he caught her, she had no doubt he’d kill her. But wasn’t he planning on that anyway? At least this way it would be fast.
No. No, she needed to stay alive, to wait. Bo would come. She had to believe in him. Bo would come, or Red, or she’d have a chance. She wasn’t going to end this way. She wasn’t.
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