Adrenaline fuels my body. My hand is steady as I drive the blade into John’s throat ending his life. No one in the room says a word as the life drains from John James’s eyes. Once his body stops twitching, I drag my eyes from his limp form and land on Capone.
“Let’s go brother and sniff out a rat.” Capone walks out the door and I follow. We have a traitor among our ranks and we won’t stop until he’s found.
Chapter 13
Blayze
I’m pacing back and forth in the common room waiting to hear from Tiny and Red. They’ve been holed up in the communications room poring over the CCV cameras for the last hour. One of the prospects and Dagger cleaned up John James’ body and disposed of it. We don’t know who to trust so each prospect will always have a patched in club member with them until this is resolved.
The girls we brought in are still up. Some are wandering around the room while others are sleeping on the couches and chairs. They’ve had a hard life and deserve to be at peace even if it’s temporary.
Danyella approaches me sitting at the bar. Her once vibrant green eyes are haunted. Her skinny frame makes me agitated all over again. “Hey big brother.”
“Hey, squirt. How are you doing?” I turn to face Danyella as she sits next to me on the other stool. I feel bad for not asking her what happened when we got back but finding Monica has been my top priority.
“I’ve been worse.” She shrugs her shoulders. “Want to tell me what’s going on? I know Monica is missing and you’re sitting here like a wounded puppy.”
I bark out a laugh spinning the beer bottle between my fingers. I haven’t taken a drink, but I really want too. “Well, you nailed it. Someone took her and we don’t know who yet. Once we find out though, everything is off the table.”
“Xander, please be careful. These men, they have no code. No ethics. No brotherhood. They don’t care who they hurt or why. It’s how they got me.” Danyella rests her hand on my arm, drawing my attention.
“How did they get you?” I should’ve asked this earlier and now I’m a piece of shit brother who was more concerned about his girlfriend than his sister.
“Don’t beat yourself up, Xander.” Danyella puts a little bit of pressure on my arm. “I was walking down the street when a van pulled up right alongside me. It was broad daylight and I didn’t think someone would dare touch me.” She stares off into space replaying what happened in her mind. “I mean come on, you’re my brother. Who in their right mind would touch a Royal Bastards sibling? Well, they did. They took me right off the street, put a bag over my head, bounded my hands and feet so I couldn’t fight back. Trust me I tried.” Danyella tucks a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear.
“Did they say anything?”
“Just that being Blayze’s sister, I’ll bring in a lot of money when the time came. There’s one thing that doesn’t add up though.”
I turn to face Danyella and wrap my arms around her. “You’re safe here, squirt.”
“I know. But I need to tell you this. The men who took me and the men who held me hostage weren’t…”
Tiny and Red open the door interrupting Danyella. “Capone! Blayze! We got something.”
“Hold that thought, Danyella. I’ll be right back.” I hurry over to them with Capone right on my heels. “What did you find?” I’m searching the cameras they have playing.
Red speaks first. “It took us a while to find it because they avoided the cameras at all costs. But she did make one mistake.” Red hits play and the screen comes to life.
“She? What do you mean she? Our kidnapper is a woman?” I ask.
“Just watch,” Red replies.
My eyes are glued to the screen when a woman in a black hoodie approaches the camera and pulls the hood off her head. The purple streaks in her hair are unmistakable. She flips us off and runs toward the back of the gym. Samantha, the club bitch.
“Son of a bitch! I’m going to kill her.” Capone growls. He’s out the door before anyone can say anything.
I hurry after him and head to the back of the gym. It’s still night out and the floodlights don’t reach back here. I pull my phone from my pocket and turn on the flashlight app. The fence butts up to the back of the building with only a small space to fit through and goes higher than the building’s roof. Capone and I search all around the fence and don’t see how they got in and out.
“The motherfucker from Los Demons. How’d he get through the fence?” I speak out loud. I look up and down, not seeing how they were able to pull this off. “The only way in and out is through the gates. So, how’d they do it?”
Capone takes off into the building leaving me standing here. I hear shuffling feet above me and shine my flashlight toward the noise. Capone comes into view at the rooftop. “Son of a bitch. I figured it out. Blayze get up here now.”
I hurry around the side of the building, into the gym doors and head up the stairs that lead to the roof. My footsteps echo along the hallway. I shoulder the door open and search for Capone. He’s standing at the edge of the roof staring out into the darkness.
“What’d you find?”
“Look,” Capone points to the edge of the roof toward the fence. I shine my flashlight in that direction and see what he sees. They cut the fence that towers over the building. Small enough for a person to fit through but not big enough for us to see from below. “My guess is that they cut this part of the fence, had a ladder on the other side and used it to get in and out.”
“What the fuck? How’d they avoid the cameras set up all over the clubhouse? And how’d they get Monica out without her causing a scene?” I’m beyond pissed the fuck off now.
“That I’m not sure about. But if Samantha was behind this, she knew where the cameras were set up at. She knows our blind spots and the ins and outs of the clubhouse. I’m going to fucking kill her when I get my hands on her.” Capone turns on his boots and walks back into the gym. Leaving me up here by myself.
I squat down and stare into the darkness. The city of angels lights up the view far away in the distance. “Where are you Bug? Give me something here.”
“Blayze?” Danyella approaches me and stares out into the darkness. I rise to my feet and wrap an arm around my sister’s shoulders. “I’m so sorry this happened. What can I do to help?”
“Tell me everything you can about the men who took you. Leave out no detail. It might be the only way we can catch these fuckers.” I peer into Danyella’s green eyes. Pain and turmoil swirl in her once vibrate and cheerful gaze.
“Ok. But not up here. This is going to take a while,” she whispers softly.
I offer Danyella my hand and she takes it squeezing it for comfort. “Come on then. Let’s head back to the clubhouse and get Capone. Maybe hearing what happened will help us track Monica down.” Together we leave the roof and head into the clubhouse. I find Capone in his room pacing back and forth.
“Danyella is going to tell us everything that happened while she was kidnapped,” I explain to Capone. Danyella and I enter and she sits on his bed.
Capone sits next to her and gently takes her hand in his. “Take your time. It’s just the three of us and anything you say will stay between us.”
“Thank you,” Danyella offers Capone a sad smile.
Chapter 14
Danyella
My heart is pounding hard against my chest when Capone grabs my hand and squeezes it affectionately. I’ve always had a crush on this strong, loveable but asshole man. I’ve never acted on any of my feelings and then I was taken away from him and my brother. I never thought we’d be sitting here shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand. But we are. And they’re waiting for me to tell them what happened.
I inhale a deep breath and steady my nerves. “I don’t like to think about what happened to me. I tried the whole, ignore it and it’ll go away thing, but every day when I woke up chained to the bed, I knew I couldn’t ignore it. When my body would be sore from the beatings, I couldn’t ignore it. And now Mon
ica needs me so I can’t ignore it.”
“Take your time, Danyella.” Capone’s smooth voice and warm hands soothe me.
“As I told Xander earlier, they took me right off the street in broad daylight. I tried to fight them off but there were so many of them and one of me. I was targeted for a reason. These men threw a bag over my head and zip-tied my hands and feet.”
Leaving this little boutique store in the heart of L.A., I catch a glimpse of a black van following me down the street. There are people all around me and I’m the sister of the V.P. of the Royal Bastards MC. There is no way someone would mess with me. Not in broad daylight. Not on a busy street.
I continue to walk with my head held high, not letting them know I know they’re there. I don’t know who they are or why they’re after me, so I pick up my pace and walk faster. Once I reach the end of the street, I step out into traffic trying to lose the van. Horns blare and I’m forced to step back when a car almost clips me. With a racing heart, I look around to see if the van is still here, but they sped away.
I continue down the street when the traffic allows and walk into the parking garage where I left my car. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. I remove my keys from my jeans pocket and hold them tight in my fist like Xander taught me. If these jerks come back, I’ll stab them with my keys.
Screeching tires echo through the parking garage causing me to jump. I look around but no one is here. It’s just me. I need to stop being so jumpy. No one will attack me. I hurry my stride, my feet slap against the concrete making an echoing noise. I see my car in the distance and break out into a run. Tires screech again in the distance.
I get closer to my car and hit the key fob nestled safely in my hand. The horn beeps, letting me know the doors are unlocked. I release a shaky breath and relax. I reach my car and open the door. A sharp pain explodes from the back of my head and I’m thrown against the door and the frame of my car. I turn around to see who’s behind me when a bag is thrown over my head. I kick and scream, fighting with everything I have. I dropped my keys in the scuffle. I keep on fighting, not giving up so easily when a fist connects with the side of my covered head, stunning me.
Hands grip my shoulders and feet as I’m being carried away. I kick and wiggle my body making it hard for whoever has me to carry me away. My foot breaks free from their hold and I slam it into a body.
“You little bitch. You’re going to pay for that one,” a man’s voice growls in my ear. Hot rancid breath enters the bag as whoever’s holding my shoulders whispers. I stifle a gag and fight their hold on me. I slip free but only for a moment. I can’t see where I’m going or get the bag off my head quick enough to get away. A fist hits me again in the face and white spots bloom from the blow. Punches and kicks rain down onto me until I’m completely immobile. Pain shoots through my face and body as hands grab for me again.
“Tie her fucking feet and throw her in the van,” a man barks. “She’s going to bring us a lot of money.”
I’m in so much pain I can’t hear the rest of what they’re saying. Hands grab me again and I try to fight but they’re stronger than I am. My hands are bound behind my back and my feet are bound tightly. I don’t have the energy to fight back. I’m lifted and tossed like a rag doll onto cold unyielding steel. I hit my head hard when I land leaving me dizzy.
“Get her to the Prez. And if she comes too, knock her ass out again.” The same man says. A door slams and I’m moving. I wiggle a little bit, trying to see how tight the restraints are but my shoulders are on fire and my face and body aches.
“Don’t fucking move or I’ll kill you,” another male voice says to my right. I try to move my head in his direction but the vehicle turns a corner and I’m thrown to the other side, slamming my head against the side. Dizziness takes hold and I stifle in the vomit trying to make its way up my throat.
“Why are you doing this?” I whisper.
I’m not expecting an answer, but I get one. “That’s for us to know and you to find out soon, Danyella.” The way he says my name sends a chill down my spine. These men will hurt me if I can’t escape. “Don’t even think about it, bitch. You have nowhere to go and no one will save you.”
“Blayze,” I mumble through the bag. “He’ll save me.”
The man barks out a laugh, “If you think that pussy will save you, you’re in for a big surprise. The Royal Bastards are scum. They won’t care that you’re missing. They only care about themselves. You’re in hell little girl, get used to it.”
I sob and curl up into a ball the best I can. They’re wrong. They’re so wrong. Blayze will find me and when he does all these jerks are dead.
I must’ve fallen asleep during the ride because the van brakes hard and I roll to the opposite side. A groan escapes my lips. I have to figure out how to get out of here. The back doors open and strong hands grip my feet, pulling me towards them. I kick and fight through the pain in my body, desperate to get away. A fist lands in my stomach causing the breath to escape my lungs. Damn, that hurts.
“Stop fighting and it’ll go easier for you,” the man that rode in the back with me growls.
“Never. I’ll never stop fighting you.”
“We’ve got a feisty one. She’ll be fun,” another voice says and the blood running through my veins freeze. I know that voice.
He stuns me long enough for them to grab my legs and yank me the rest of the way out of the van. I’m thrown over a bony shoulder and pain shoots through my stomach. I kick my feet but don’t come into contact with anything. A hand grips my hair though the hood and tears spring in my eyes as the hairs are ripped from my head.
“Stop it little bitch or I’ll have to hurt you.” I wish I can see who these men are. “You’re stuck with us and if you don’t fight, my boys won’t hurt you. They like it rough.”
“What do you want from me?” I ask.
“You’ll find out soon enough. Now shut the fuck up before my brother has a go at your precious ass.” He releases my hair and I don’t fight. Fear freezes me. I’m too drained to try again right now.
I hear traffic in the distance when a door opens and slams shut behind us. The man carrying me over his shoulder jars my stomach as he takes quick steps. I can tell we’re going down and not up. That means I’m heading toward a basement of some sort. My heart slams against my chest when we reach the bottom stairs. The man carrying me is panting by the time we stop. No one says a word when I hear another door open. I’m trying to come up with a plan to get the hell out of here but the further we walk, the more reality sets in. I can’t escape.
The stench hits me through the bag before anything else. It’s a nasty smell of pee and poop being stifled in a room. I hold back a gag. The last thing I want is to throw up and have it crusted around my face.
A loud metal rattle causes me to jump. Sniffling and crying pierce the room we’re in. When a man speaks. “Wake up, bitches. I have another one for you.” A loud slam of metal against metal makes me jump and I start kicking again.
“No! You can’t do this. I’ve done nothing wrong.” I cry and kick and fight with everything I have.
“Hold her fucking feet, now.” The man in charge growls. Someone grabs my feet with a strong grip and I’m being lifted off the shoulder of the man carrying me. I’m dizzy from the sudden movement and slammed into a wall. My head bounces off the unforgiving concrete and the air rushes out of my lungs on impact. The bag is yanked off my head and I blink a few times. I’m surrounded by four men wearing cuts. Each states their rank but no road name. What the hell?
“Oh shit.” The words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them.
“That’s right little bitch. Oh shit. You’re at my mercy now.” He bends down so his face is right next to my ear. “If you try anything, I will fuck you up. Then I’ll let him,” he motions to another man standing behind us, “have his way with you. He likes the fighters.” The man he’s talking about smirks and adjusts himself.
“Why are you
doing this? What has my brother done to you?” I plead for an answer. When one doesn’t come, I lean my head back against the wall and blow out a breath of frustration.
The man stands up and grabs my feet, dragging me across the floor. My shoulders and arms burn and I have nothing to grab ahold of to stop myself from going. He yanks me up and plops me down onto a bed in the corner of the room. The zip ties are cut and I move my arms, trying to swing but I’m not fast enough. My one hand is cuffed to the wall, stretched beyond normal.
“Now, if you’re a good girl we’ll leave you alone. If you continue to be a pain in my ass, I’ll break you.” The man in charge growls.
“You still didn’t answer me. Can you please tell me why you’re doing this and who are you?” I plead with tears in my eyes.
“Let’s just say your brother owes me. The whole MC owes me and the only way to make them suffer is through you. You’re just an unlucky bitch caught up in a war.” He glances around the room before his brown eyes land back on me. “And the Los Demons take no mercy.”
A gasp leaves my lips. Oh, this is bad. This is really, really bad. Los Demons are a horrific MC. They’ve been known for human trafficking. Girls enter their clubhouse never to be seen again and I ended up in the middle of it.
I glance around the room and see around twenty women down here. Some are watching us and others have their backs to us like they’ve given up hope. Each has their own cot and one of their wrists is cuffed above their heads. There is no way out of this. Fighting just causes them to get pissed off and hurt me. Crying does nothing for the psychopaths. I have to stay strong and pray Blayze will find me before they either kill me or sell me.
Chapter 15
Royal Bastards MC: Blayze's Inferno Los Angeles Chapter Page 12