After adjusting my clothing, checking my makeup, and brushing my hair again, Reese declared it time for the big reveal. She pulled me into the bathroom and instructed me to close my eyes. She turned me toward the mirror by my shoulders and said, “Open!”
I opened my eyes and my hand immediately went to my chest. I took a staggering step back and whispered, “That can’t be me.”
I saw Reese’s face fall in the mirror, “You don’t like it?”
“No, that’s not it. It’s amazing. I just can’t believe that girl in the mirror is me. I’m, I’m…”
“You’re beautiful.” She softly smiled. I think that was the first time I had ever seen her genuinely smile. It was a sight to behold.
I half laughed and half sobbed, “I was going to say pretty.”
She laughed, too, and then we sort of fell into an awkward silence. I couldn’t find the right words to express my feelings. She had made me feel normal for the first time in my life and saying thank you just wasn’t enough.
She patted my shoulder, “One thing about makeup, you should always remove it before going to bed. Leaving it on does nasty things to your pores, your pillows, and your sheets. Come on, I’ll show you how the whirlpool tub works.”
An hour later I was leaving her bathroom in my pajamas with a new promise to myself that I would one day have my very own whirlpool tub.
“I should probably get everything packed up and ready to go since we are leaving here first thing in the morning.”
“Okay. All the stuff I kept for you is in my closet.” She walked into her closet and came out with a duffel bag. She opened it and laid everything out on her bed. Since I had enlisted her help, she had stashed quite a bit of money for me. I had asked her to use some of the cash to buy me some clothes and a few other necessary items. I reorganized my things, making sure the most important items were in my backpack and things that could be replaced went into the duffel bag, in case I needed to drop it and run. With everything squared away, we lay down for what I was sure would be a night with little to no sleep. The success of my escape relied heavily on the events of tomorrow, which were uncertain at best.
Once I decided that I really was going to try and escape, I began sneaking around the farm, snooping and eavesdropping every chance I got. I had managed to learn the combinations to a few safes and the codes to enter some of the locked doors. I rotated the safes I stole money from and only took a few hundred dollar bills each time. I would then place the money in an envelope and slip it into Reese’s locker at school.
My biggest problem was that I didn’t have any kind of identification. Through all of my snooping and sneaking around, I never came across birth records for myself or anyone else who lived on the farm. They had to have some kind of official documentation for us otherwise we wouldn’t be able to attend public school. I didn’t spend a lot of time trying to find the documents because I suspected they were likely fake anyway. Statements made during conversations I was secretly listening to led me to this theory.
When I explained my situation to Reese, in one of our many notes, I asked her if she could use the internet to find someone who could make some identification records for me. I explained that I needed more than just a license making me older than my true age; I was going to need a whole setup, birth certificate, social security card, a state-issued ID, and possibly a passport.
A few days later, she told me she asked her brother. Before my panic attack could even get off the ground, she continued on to tell me she said that one of her friends and her mother were trying to get away from the girl’s abusive step-father. Her brother accepted that explanation and said they should go to the Blackwings Motorcycle Club and talk to Phoenix.
CHAPTER 2
Ember
The next morning, Reese dropped me off at the end of the road that led to the Blackwings MC Clubhouse. Apparently, even though her brother was a member, he had insisted that she never come anywhere near the clubhouse. After a tearful goodbye and a promise to contact her soon if I could do so safely, I began walking down the street toward my new future.
When I got to the end of the road, I could see the clubhouse, but I couldn’t get to it because it was surrounded by a large fence and the gate at the front was locked. I wasn’t sure what to do next. I didn’t see anybody around to ask or to open the gate for me.
Hoping to see someone, I started walking along the fence line. I was about halfway around the back when I finally spotted two men. Before I could say anything, one of them yelled, “What the fuck are you doing back here, bitch?”
I froze. He sounded like the men from the farm. That was how they talked to the women, always calling them something demeaning or derogatory, never using their names.
“Answer me, bitch. Now!” he yelled even louder.
I just stared at him. I couldn’t speak. I could barely breathe. My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. I thought the people at this place would be helpful, not openly hostile.
“Calm down, man. You’re scaring the shit out of her.” I couldn’t see them very well, but one of them took a few steps closer and asked, “What are you doing back here, darlin’?”
I swallowed thickly and tried to still my shaking hands. “I’m looking for Phoenix.”
They both looked at me strangely and the nicer one asked, “What do you want with Phoenix?”
The other one added, “Yeah, sweetheart, you’re a little young for his liking.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but I was beginning to get a little frustrated with these two. Reese’s brother said to come here and talk to Phoenix. I didn’t realize it would be this difficult to get to him. I huffed, “I would rather discuss that with him.”
“And you thought you would find him back here?” the big mean man asked.
“I went to the gate first. No one was there and I didn’t see a buzzer or anything, so I walked along the fence hoping I would see someone to ask.”
The big, mean man again, “He expecting you?”
“No, sir, he isn’t.”
Both men chuckled, but I wasn’t sure why. The younger one said, “Walk back around to the front and we’ll let you in.”
“Okay, but is Phoenix here? I don’t need to come in if he’s not here.”
“Yeah, darlin’, he’s inside. I’ll take you to him.”
Oh, thank goodness. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do if he wasn’t there.
I was nervous. I hadn’t anticipated being led into a building surrounded by an iron fence with a bunch of large men around. How would I get out if I needed to? What kind of danger awaited me inside the clubhouse? I could be trapped in there for years with these men, just like I was at the farm. I didn’t want that. Not again.
We reached the front gate and I turned to the younger man. He was starting to punch in a code on a keypad I had not seen. “You know, it’s really not that important…I’ll just catch him later. Thanks anyway,” I said quickly and turned to walk away. Before I could break out into a full sprint, a hand wrapped around my upper arm and yanked me back. I yelped and another hand came around to cover my mouth.
The younger man leaned down to my ear and asked in a low tone, “Now why are you trying to run off like that? Makes me think you’re up to something.” I shook my head from side to side vigorously, but he continued, “We don’t like it when people who got no business being out here come sniffing around our territory, sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong. So, we’re gonna go inside and have a little chat.”
As he slowly made his way into the warehouse, dragging me along with him, I began to shake and tears ran down my face. I was so stupid. Why did I think I could do this? I had never been off of the farm, except for school and the occasional (extremely supervised) trip into town for clothes or other supplies. I had no idea how to survive in the real world. I had only been able to survive in a world that was an illusion manipulated into my reality.
I was terrified. I couldn’t
even begin to take in my surroundings due to the tears blurring my vision, which meant I had no idea where they were taking me and no idea how to get out of this place. The man kept his hand over my mouth and his other arm wrapped around my waist as he pulled me deeper inside the clubhouse.
Finally, the man let me go and I was pushed down into a chair. I wiped the tears from my eyes and face and looked around. I was in an office, facing a beast of a man sitting across from me behind a large desk. He did not look happy. I glanced behind me and saw two men standing guard at the door. The two men from outside were standing on either side of me.
The man at the desk spoke first, “What the fuck is this?”
“We found her snooping around outside the fence at the back of the warehouse, Prez,” explained the BMM.
I mumbled, “I wasn’t snooping, sir.”
“What the fuck were you doing then?” asked the beast behind the desk.
“Like I told them, sir, I’m here to see Phoenix. I went to the front gate, but no one was out there. I didn’t see a buzzer or anything, so I walked along the fence hoping I would see somebody to ask.”
“I see,” he growled. “Who’s supposed to be on gate duty?” I jolted at his tone. One of the other men answered his question.
“Get his ass in here now!” the beast roared.
When the man they called Pete came into the office, the beast stood. “When this lovely little thing came to the gate today looking for Phoenix, she couldn’t find anyone to ask.” Pete looked down as the beast rounded the desk. “So she took a stroll along the fence to see if she could find anyone around to ask.” The beast was now toe-to-toe with Pete, who was still looking at the floor. “And do you know what happened next, prospect?”
“No, Prez,” Pete mumbled.
“She was drug in here by Dash and Shaker, trembling from head to toe with tears streaming down her face!” he roared. “All because she was looking for me! Now get the fuck out of my office and plant your ass at that gate. I don’t care if you shit your damn pants, you fucking stay there until I say otherwise.” The beast looked to the men standing around the room. “The rest of you clear out, too. I’d like to talk to this sweet little thing without you mongrels looming around scaring her more than you already have.”
The men quickly exited and the beast, apparently Phoenix, returned to his desk. He took in a deep breath, paused for a moment to study my face, and then settled back into his chair. “My apologies for the way my men treated you. Now, I’m Phoenix. What is it you want with me?”
Hesitantly, but with as much confidence as I could muster, I stated, “I need a new ID and the documents that would go along with that. I was told you could help me.”
Phoenix pushed back from his desk and crossed his muscular arms over his impressively large chest. His face was a mask of indifference when he crushed my world. “I can’t help you with that.”
What? No. This wasn’t happening. What was I going to do now? I didn’t plan on this happening. I didn’t come up with a backup plan. I had nowhere to go. They would find me and I would have to go back. No. No. No. I couldn’t breathe. What was happening? My chest hurt. Everything was blurry. Why couldn’t I get air into my lungs? I needed to breathe.
A light tapping on my cheek startled me, causing me to suck in a huge breath of air. “That’s it. Do it again. A little slower this time. Good. Good. A few more times.” I did as I was instructed. After a few slow, deep breaths, I wiped my eyes with my hands. Phoenix was squatting in front of my chair, his hand gently resting on my knee, coaxing me to breathe.
He patted my knee and stood. “That’s much better. Now, who told you I could help you with getting a new identity?”
Assuming honesty was the best policy at this point, I softly said, “Carbon.”
Phoenix nodded, walked into the hallway, and yelled, “Carbon! Get your ass in here now!” Crap. Carbon was going to find out Reese lied to him, not to mention that she was the one that brought me here against his direct orders. He was going to be very upset with her. And it sounded like Phoenix was already upset with Carbon. This was not going to bode well for me.
A man with the same eyes and the same hair color as Reese walked into the office. If I thought Phoenix was a beast, this guy was the beast’s dad. What were they being fed around here? “What’s up, Prez?”
Phoenix gestured toward me, “You know her?”
Carbon shook his head, “Never seen her before.”
Phoenix looked back and forth between the two of us. “She says you told her I could help her get a new ID. So, which one of you is lying to me?”
Carbon looked down at the floor and pinched the bridge of his nose. He slowly shook his head before raising it to meet my eyes. “You’re Reese’s friend, aren’t you?”
I almost choked when I tried to speak. “Yes.” I turned to face Phoenix, “I’ve never met him, sir. I’m friends with his sister. She asked him for me. I’m not trying to cause trouble or anything. I just need someone to help me.”
Phoenix didn’t acknowledge me, but turned back to Carbon, “That true? Your sister asked you about this?”
Carbon shook his head. “Not exactly. She told me it was for her friend’s mom. That she was being beaten by the step-dad, things were bad at home, and she needed help getting out. She never said anything about needing an ID. I told Reese to tell the mom to come by the clubhouse and talk to you. No more, no less.”
Phoenix remained silent for several long minutes. Finally, he walked back to his desk and took his seat. He focused on Carbon. “That’s all I needed from you. You can go.” He turned back to me with narrowed eyes. “Start talking.”
I think I may have yelped like a scared puppy. “I-I-I don’t know what to say. Um, what do you want to know?”
Phoenix pinned me with a stern glare, “You know exactly what I want to know, but to humor you, I’ll play your game. I want to know who or what you’re running from. I want to know what kind of help you think you need and how you are planning to pay for that. I want to know what kind of trouble you might be bringing into my club, but first and foremost, I want to know what your name is and how old you are?”
I took in a shaky breath. Okay, I would start with the easy stuff first. “My name is Ember and I’m 18 years old.”
He raised a brow, “Can you prove that?”
I wanted to scream, “That’s why I’m here,” but I didn’t think that would benefit anyone given the current tension in the room. Instead, I said, “I don’t have any kind of identification, real or fake. The only thing I have is my high school diploma with my name on it.”
“You’re 18 and you don’t have a driver’s license?”
“No, sir, I wasn’t allowed to get one.”
“Birth certificate? Social security card?”
I shook my head. “I’m sure those things exist, or did at one time, but I don’t know where they are or who has them?”
He looked at me incredulously, “Where are you from?”
Solemnly, I told him, “I grew up at the orphanage on the other side of town.”
“What happened to your parents?”
I mechanically repeated the only answer I had ever been given when I’d asked the same question. “My mom died when I was born and my dad was never in the picture.”
“Do you know their names?”
It was always hard for me to think about my parents, let alone talk about them. I swallowed thickly and cleared my throat, “I don’t know my father’s name, but I was told my mother’s name was Annabelle.”
Phoenix’s spine went ramrod straight, his hands balled into fists. He asked through gritted teeth, “Her last name?”
I was taken aback by his reaction. He was obviously angry and he was starting to scare me. “Um, I never asked that. I assumed it was the same as mine.”
Phoenix scoffed. I noticed his fists clenched even tighter. He looked like he barely had his temper under control. “And what is that? Tell me your full name,”
he barked.
His tone caused me to flinch and I quickly eked out, “Ember Rose Blackburn.”
Phoenix jumped to his feet and roared, “Get the fuck out! Now!” The next second, he flipped his desk over, sending everything crashing to the floor.
No need to tell me twice. I jumped out of the chair, grabbed my bag, and bolted from the room.
I rounded a corner and slammed into a wall of muscle. Strong arms wrapped around me and held me in place, “Whoa. Where do you think you’re going?”
It was Dash, the nicer guy from outside. Shaking like a leaf with tears running down my face, I blinked up at him, “He-he-he told me to get out.” I immediately started squirming in his arms, trying to get away from him.
“Stop that,” he ordered. “You’re not going anywhere until I find out what’s going on.”
I hadn’t made it far. I could still hear Phoenix yelling and destroying things in his office. “I need to go. He told me to leave. I want to leave. Let me go.” He didn’t. Instead, he tightened his hold on me. My only explanation for what happened next is that years of training and conditioning kicked in and instinct took over.
Since I was facing him, and he clearly did not perceive me as a threat, I swiftly brought my knee up between his legs. He released his hold on me and bent forward to cradle his manhood. I shoved the heel of my hand into his nose, sending him up and back. Using his momentum to my advantage, I swept his feet out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground and giving me the opportunity to run for my life.
I could hear voices in the hall behind me, but I didn’t dare look back. I ran with everything I had. Once I made it through the front door, I thought I had a pretty good chance of getting away. I was halfway to the front gates when I suddenly hit the ground. “Gotcha!” an unfamiliar voice sounded by my ear.
“Get off of her, man. I got this,” Dash angrily spat at the man currently crushing me.
“Sure about that?” the man crushing me snickered.
Dash Page 2