by Wilder, L.
“It’s broke-d.”
“What?” I looked down at my prized possession and was devastated to find the nipple piece of the bottle broken off in its mouth. And not only that, but there was also something wrong with its eye. “What did you do?”
“Nuttin’. It just broke-d.” She pulled herself up in the seat next to me and shrugged. “You can have her back now.”
“Mom! She ruined my Mommy and Me doll!”
“I’m sure she didn’t mean to.” Mom placed the turkey down on the table as she said, “We will get you another one.”
“You promise?”
“Yes, Marlie. Now, stop whining and let’s get ready to eat.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I’d like to say my mother kept her word and got me another doll, but sadly, she did not. In fact, she wouldn’t even discuss it with me. The memory of that night might seem trivial to some, after all, it was just a silly doll, but for me, it was the realization that I lived in my sister’s shadow—making me invisible to everyone around me, especially my parents.
I would remain there in her shadow until the day I packed my bags and left. I’d never regretted my decision to leave. In fact, I think it was the best decision I’ve ever made—even more so now that I’d found myself on the back of Rafe’s bike again. When we pulled up to my apartment, Rafe got off his bike and followed me up to the door. He stepped over to me as he asked, “You okay? You seem a little distracted or something.”
“Sorry about that. I guess I had a lot on my mind.”
I wasn’t surprised when Rafe pushed, “You guess?”
“I have a lot on my mind.”
“I know how that can be.” He leaned in a little closer. “I’ve had something on my mind all damn day to the point it’s become a problem.”
“Oh, really? And what, might I ask, would that be?”
“That kiss last night.” A spark of mischief flashed through his intense green eyes as he continued, “It’s had me all messed up. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it and being with you tonight has only made it worse.”
“Oh, wow. That is a problem.”
His voice was low and raspy as he replied, “It certainly is.”
“Well, what are we going to do about it?”
I was waiting for his answer when he slipped his hand behind my neck and pulled me forward, crashing his mouth against mine. His warm, wet tongue ran across my bottom lip as his hand snaked down my back and pulled me even closer. His touch. His scent. His taste. Everything about him had me craving more. Like him, the kiss we’d shared the night before had stirred something in me, making me fantasize about the possibility of another chance to be close to him. It was all I could think about as my fingers raked through his hair, and I moaned against his mouth.
Without warning, he leaned back, breaking from our embrace. “You can trust me, Marlowe. With anything. You just have to be willing to let me in.”
“I want to, I really do, but it’s complicated.”
“It always is.” Those gorgeous green eyes never left mine as he whispered, “Just know I’m here whenever you decide to let me in on what’s going on with you.”
Without giving me a chance to respond, Rafe lowered his mouth down to mine and kissed me softly—so gentle and sweet. His scent circled around me, a mix of cologne and leather. Just being close to him engaged all my senses. I couldn’t resist him, even if I wanted to. The pull to him was just too strong. I was starting to fall for him, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop it. As soon as I brought my hands up to his chest, the kiss changed, becoming more intense and heated. Goosebumps swept across my flesh as he delved further into my mouth, exploring every inch with his tongue. His fingers dug into my hips as he pulled me closer to him, forcing a light moan to vibrate through my chest. I was about to completely lose myself in him when someone in the parking lot honked the horn and shouted, “Damn. Get a fucking room!”
Embarrassed, I quickly pulled back and broke our embrace. Clearly amused by my reaction, Rafe chuckled as he said, “I think that’s my cue.”
“What?”
“Time for me to go.” He leaned down, kissed me briefly, then turned and started down the steps. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Rafe, you don’t have to come—”
“I’ll see you in the morning, Marlowe.”
Once he had gotten settled on his bike, he motioned his hand towards my door, signaling me to go on inside. I gave him a quick wave, then did as he’d asked and went into my apartment. As I closed the door behind me, I took one last glance at Rafe, and it was at that moment I realized I was wasting my time dwelling on the past. My future was suddenly looking brighter than ever, and it was time to leave my disappointments and hurt where they belonged—in the past.
Chapter 7
Rafe
Over the years, I’d come across hundreds of beautiful women—thousands even. I’d been attracted to more than a few, but after I’d fucked them a couple of times, whatever attraction was there would fade, and we’d part ways. Maybe it was my fault. Maybe it was theirs. I honestly didn’t care. I wasn’t invested enough to bother figuring it out. Besides, it wasn’t like I was looking to settle down. I had my brothers. I had my club. I didn’t need anything else, or so I thought. Now, I wasn’t so sure.
Marlowe had me so tangled up I didn’t know what to think. Everything was different with her. Sure, she was a knockout. Hell, I was physically attracted to her from the first time I laid eyes on her, but it was more that. I actually wanted to get to know her, and that shit just didn’t happen—not with any woman. I didn’t know what it was about Marlowe that had me so twisted up, but as I pulled away from her apartment, I found myself feeling disappointed our night together had come to an end. It didn’t help matters that I couldn’t stop thinking about how fucking good her mouth felt on mine. Damn, I’d never felt anything so incredible.
I spent the entire night picturing all the wicked things I wanted to do to Marlowe. Hell, I was still thinking about her the following morning but was quickly pulled from my thoughts when I got the call from Widow. It was just after sunrise, so I knew something was up when he told me to get to the clubhouse. I just had no idea what until I actually got there and found all the guys gathered outside one of Shotgun’s holding rooms. As I walked up to the one-way mirrored glass, I could see Shotgun standing over a bald guy wearing a white button-down shirt and khakis. His hands were bound behind his back and sweat trickled down his brow, but he didn’t look worried. Instead, he was glaring at Shotgun through his horn-rimmed glasses like he was superior—much like a professor might look at a defiant student.
A smile crossed my face as I looked over to Axel, the club’s VP, and asked, “Schommer?”
“The one and only.”
“Is it just me or does this guy seem—”
“Like an indignant prick with a corncob up his ass?”
“Yeah. Doesn’t seem rattled at all.”
“Not yet.” A knowing smirk crossed Axel’s face as he continued, “But he will be.”
The hallway fell silent when Viper stepped into view. We all watched our president walk over to Schommer and cross his arms as he looked down at him with disgust. Viper’s voice was low and threatening as he said, “You have a very impressive bio, Dr. Schommer. Multiple degrees. You’ve taught all over the country. Earned numerous awards. Makes me wonder why a man with so many profound attributes would find himself in this kind of situation.”
“I guess we’re both perplexed, because I’m wondering how a man who covers his body in tattoos and leather has such an astute vocabulary.”
The words had barely left Schommer’s mouth when Viper reared back his fist and slammed it into the professor’s jaw. “How’s that for an astute vocabulary?”
“Hmmm.” Schommer groaned, then shook off the hit. “Now, that was much more expected. Using brawn instead of brains. Rather pathetic, if you ask me.”
“Do you hav
e any idea who you’re talking to?”
“No, but I feel quite certain you’re going tell me.”
His pompous tone made me want to punch him in the face myself. I could only imagine how Viper was feeling even though he did his best to remain cool and collected. “The name’s Viper. I’m the president of the Ruthless Sinners.”
“The president? I guess that makes you the leader of this fine establishment.” His eyes skirted around the room as he asked, “So, Mr. President, are you going to tell me why you’ve brought me here?”
“We want intel on everything you know about a man named Scar and the business dealings you have with him.”
“I see. I guess this is the point where you’ll tell me what vile, vicious things you’re going do to me if I don’t tell you what you want to know.” There was something about the way he said vile, vicious things that made my blood run cold. It sounded like the sadistic fuck was almost excited by the idea of being tortured. An eerie smirk crossed Schommer’s face as he said, “I’m sure you have many awful things in mind, but I’ll do us both a favor and save you your breath. I don’t know anything about this man you call Scar or his business.”
Viper motioned his hand over to Shotgun. “You know about skillsets, don’t you, Dr. Schommer? Well, my brother here has a particular skillset that has come in very handy over the years. You see, he has a talent for making people talk. It has come quite naturally to him and has been honed and refined over the years. Needless to say, I feel certain once he’s done with you, you’ll tell us everything we want to know about Scar and more.”
“I’ve already told you,” Schommer’s voice remained eerily steady as he continued, “I don’t know anything about him.”
“We have evidence that shows otherwise.” Viper reached into his back pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. After he opened it, he held it in front of Schommer and said, “Like the thousands of dollars that have been moved in and out of your bank account. I don’t know many professors who bring in this kind of cash every month.”
“How in the hell did you get into my account?”
Viper’s expression never altered as he looked down at the professor. “Clearly, we’re not as dumb as you thought. I’d suggest you remember that and start talking before you end up making things very difficult for yourself.”
“Sorry to disappoint, but I have nothing to say.”
“Suit yourself.”
Viper looked over to Shotgun and gave him a nod, letting him know it was time for him to take over. Without saying another word, Viper walked out of the room and into the hall. As he closed the door behind him, he shook his head and said, “Damn, Shotgun’s gonna have his hands full with this motherfucker.”
“What’s the deal with this guy?” I kept my eyes trained on Schommer as I continued, “Is he a masochist or something?”
“I don’t know enough about that shit to even guess, but whatever it is, he isn’t firing on all cylinders.” Viper ran his hand down his beard and growled. “Asshole almost had a hard-on when he was talking about what we might do to him. What the fuck was that?”
“Definitely some kind of psychopath,” Axel grumbled.
“No doubt.”
Our attention was drawn to the mirrored glass again when Shotgun started to lay into Schommer. It wasn’t a sight for the faint of heart. Shotgun wasn’t a man who held back or even considered using restraint when he was working over one of our adversaries. After almost an hour of throwing one punch after the next, he’d barely broken a sweat. Schommer, on the other hand, looked like he’d been to hell and back. His white button-down was soaked in blood, his nose and both his lips were busted all to hell and bleeding, but at the same time, there was a look in that motherfucker’s bruised and swollen eyes that said he could take more—much more. This came as a surprise, especially considering the fact he was just some arrogant college professor who was half the size of Shotgun.
We all watched as our enforcer knelt down in front of Schommer and growled, “You can play it tough all you want, but eventually, you will tell us what you know. One way or another, I’ll get it out of you.”
“You think so?” he snickered. “Then, I guess we’ll just have to see how creative you can be.”
“That we will.”
Shotgun walked over and grabbed a small table from the corner of the room, then carried it back over to Schommer. After placing it in front of him, Shotgun pulled out his hunting knife from his back pocket and used it to release one of his hands. The professor didn’t so much as blink when Shotgun slammed his hand down on the table and placed the blade of his knife against the tip of his index finger. “How’s this for creative?”
Shotgun pressed the knife down against Schommer’s finger, slicing off more than half of it. Other than a small grunt, there was little pain shown from the professor. He didn’t even seem fazed by the fact blood was gushing from his hand. Instead, he clinched his fucking thighs together like some horny schoolgirl trying to reach a climax. The psycho was even more delusional than any of us had thought. Irritated by his elated state, Shotgun took the blade of the knife and stabbed it into the top of Schommer’s hand, making it impossible for him to move. This caused him to grimace, but only momentarily. After seeing his response, Shotgun reared his fist back and plowed it into the professor’s jaw, knocking him out cold.
As soon as his head fell forward, Shotgun stormed out of the room and into the hall. “Is it just me, or is the guy getting off on this shit?”
“Looks that way,” Axel answered with disgust. “I’m afraid we’re gonna be in for a long night.”
“Fuck that. I’m done dealing with this bullshit.” Viper looked over to Menace and said, “Bring her in.”
“You got it.”
When Menace turned to leave, Axel asked, “What was that about?”
"Everyone feels pain—even this motherfucker. It’s just a matter of finding the right source of pain to inflict.”
Moments later, Menace stepped back into the hallway with a young woman at his side. Her eyes were blindfolded and her hands were bound behind her back as he guided her over to Viper. It was clear the girl was freaking out when she started to cry, “What do you want from me? Why am I here? Please ... tell me something.
“Easy, doll,” Viper told her. “No one’s gonna hurt you as long as you do what you’re told.”
“Please, just let me go. I won’t tell anyone anything.”
“Won’t be anything for you tell. Just do like I say, and you’ll be fine.” He gave her the once over, then Viper asked, “Is it set?”
“Yeah, just like we discussed.”
“Good. Wait until I give the word before you take her into the room.”
“Understood.”
With Shotgun following close behind, Viper opened the door and walked back into the holding room. When he got over to Schommer, he reached out, grabbed his jaw and forced his head up as he barked, “Wake up, sunshine. We have things to discuss.”
Schommer batted his eyes a couple of times, then smiled. “Back for more?”
“I get it. You’re a sick fuck who gets off on pain. Good for you.”
“What can I say? Some guys have all the luck.”
“That they do, but yours is about to run out.” After one last hard jerk, Viper released his hold on Schommer. “There was some other interesting information in that bio of yours.”
“Is that so?”
Viper glanced over his shoulder and stared into the two-way glass, then gave a slight nod, signaling Menace it was time. We all watched as Menace led the girl into the room next to Schommer’s. As soon as both Menace and the girl were in position, Viper flipped the light switch and said, “You have a very beautiful daughter, professor.”
“She has nothing to do with this!” Schommer tried to pull his hand free from the knife, but it wouldn’t budge. “Let her go.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. Not until you tell us what we need to know.”
&nbs
p; “I can’t. I just can’t.”
“Well, that’s too bad.” Viper walked over to the window and tapped on the glass. Menace nodded, then reached for the girl’s coat zipper and slowly lowered it. When the coat fell open, you could see a C4 explosive secured to her abdomen. Viper motioned his hand towards the digital timer located in the center of the explosive as he said, “It would be a shame for such a beautiful girl to be ripped to shreds.”
“Oh, God! Catherine! No! Why did you have to bring her into this?”
“You know exactly why, and if you don’t start talking fast, your daughter is going to come to an untimely end.”
Schommer looked over to Viper, but he didn’t speak. Instead, he just shook his head. Knowing he needed the extra push, Viper motioned his hand over to Menace. Taking the cue, Menace reached over and pressed the timing mechanism, starting the clock on the explosive. Schommer’s eyes widened with horror as the clock started to tick away. “Please! Don’t do this.”
“Best get to talking, Teach. Three minutes doesn’t give you much time,” Viper warned.
“Turn it off for God’s sake! I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
“Can’t do that.” Viper crossed his arms. “You talk or the girl dies.”
“Fine. What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
Schommer’s eyes were trained on the numbers on the clock centered on his daughter’s abdomen as he replied, “I just run the books and determine how much product needs to be made each week to fulfill the month’s quota.”
“Who’s running the show?”
“I’ve only referred to him as Scar, but I don’t know his real name,” Schommer answered quickly. “I’ve never even talked to the guy.”
“Then, who do you give the orders to?”
“A man named Joseph Stark. He’s the go-between.” He looked back over at his daughter as he rattled on, “I tell him what Scar needs to know, and he relays the message.”