by T. O. Smith
"Thank you." She whispered.
With a single nod of my head, I walked out of the room, feeling a conflict of emotions racing through my body.
One part of me wanted to tell her to go fuck herself, boot her out on her ass, and let Jordan fucking kill her for leaving and running away from him.
But the other part of me, the part that outweighed the other part, wanted to keep her safe, wanted to claim her just like I had all of those years ago.
And I had to admit that I wanted to be the one to put the bullet between my brother's eyes for what he'd done to the woman I'd been in love with since the moment she had looked up at me with those big, brown eyes through her blue rimmed glasses seven years ago.
The same damn day she had taken my heart and made it completely her own.
When I woke up the next morning, I was more rested than I had been in five years. For the last five years, I had been sleeping on a pallet on a hard, concrete floor, and the very comfortable, soft bed here at the club house was a very welcome change.
Not only that, but I was also able to sleep peacefully knowing that here in the clubhouse, I was safe and protected. No one was going to come bother me in the middle of the night.
I slid out of bed, my stomach rumbling at me to find something to eat. Normally, I would ignore the urge to eat, knowing I wouldn't be fed until Jordan was ready for me to be fed. But Ink had told me to come find him if I needed anything, and I knew Ink better than to not do as he said. If he figured out I hadn’t told him I was hungry, I knew he would be pretty pissed.
I walked down the stairs, finding Ink downstairs with Johnny and another guy I didn't recognize at one of the tables, pancakes in front of each of them. Johnny looked up at me when I entered the room, his eyes cold as he looked at me with disgust and hatred. I halted in my tracks at the hatred gleaming in his eyes, swallowing past the lump in my throat.
Once upon a time, Johnny and I used to be extremely close.
Now? I didn’t think we would ever rebuild that bond together.
Ink and the other guy both looked over at me. "Lose the fucking hatred, brother." Ink said as he turned his dark eyes back to Johnny. "She's going to be here a while. If you don't like it, take it up with the Prez."
Johnny sneered at Ink, but Ink only shrugged as he got up from the table. "Hey, Izzy, you mind bringing out another plate of pancakes with a cup of coffee?" He called out in the direction of the bar as his tall, powerful frame moved in my direction.
"Sure thing, darlin'!" She called back from what I assumed was the kitchen. The door was closed, so I couldn’t be a hundred percent sure.
Ink led me over to the table, placing me in the seat between him and the other guy. I looked at his patch, seeing it read Thor with the Enforcer patch under it. He was a bulky guy with shoulder length blonde hair. It was easy to tell why he got the name Thor. He kind of resembled the guy they used to play Thor in the movies.
"Sleep well?" Thor asked me as he shot me a small, encouraging smile.
Izzy set a plate of pancakes in front of me with a cup of coffee and some sugar and creamer packets. I gave her a small, thankful smile. She grinned down at me. "Not a problem, darlin'." She told me as she gently squeezed my shoulder and went back into the kitchen.
I nodded in answer to Thor. "Show the officers some fucking respect by opening your mouth to answer." Johnny snapped at me.
I flinched back from him, quickly beginning to lose my appetite. "She's fine, Ghost. Get your panties out of your ass." Thor snapped at him. It still shocked me a bit to hear people call my brother Ghost. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to know he had gotten the name.
Ink gently squeezed my knee under the table, making me jump in shock as I swung my eyes to his gorgeous blue ones. "Eat." He gently ordered. "You need to get some meat back on your fucking bones. So, dig in."
"I'm not sitting here while you guys pretend that she isn't a fucking disloyal bitch." Johnny snarled.
My appetite was completely gone. I didn’t dare look up at my brother. "Nobody is fucking asking you to sit here, Ghost." Ink snapped at him. "So, shut your fucking whining up, or get the fuck on."
"That quick you done fell back into her trap?" Ghost snapped at Ink. Ink scowled. "I'm not fucking stupid, brother. I always knew you had a thing for her, but your brother had more balls than you ever did."
"Fuck." Thor grumbled as Ink jumped up from his seat, sending his fist against my brother's face. Thor squeezed my shoulder gently as I squeezed my eyes shut, trying my damnest to not cry. "Don't worry, girly. If Ink doesn't get your brother straightened out, Sabotage or Grim will do it. Ignore them. Eat your pancakes. Ink's right. You need some meat on your bones." He told me.
"Is Ink always this violent?" I asked when he stormed outside, lighting a cigarette as he disappeared out the door while Blink ushered Johnny through a different door.
Thor shrugged. "Eh, it depends. He's normally got a good head on his shoulders. Ink just loses his cool a lot when it comes to people he cares about."
I sighed, swallowing a bite of the pancakes. "I fucked up any possibility of Ink giving a shit about me years ago." I grumbled, hating how much my words were true. I should have just listened to him all those years ago and never rode out of town with Jordan.
Thor chuckled, shaking his head. "Doubt that, girly. The way he's been acting since you got here? Nah. He still gives a fuck about you. Not any man goes swinging on his President. In fact, it's practically unheard of. Once he works through the shit in his head, he'll be calmer." Thor tried assuring me.
I didn’t believe him.
It was about lunch time when two FBI agents came up to the club house. Tension rang through the room, but Izzy kept me to the side, informing me to stay silent unless someone spoke directly to me.
"I'm sure you boys know what we're in town for." One of the FBI agents spoke up. Ink quietly snorted. "A girl has been missing for five years, and she finally floats up in your town. And you boys are the only people in this town who might know what happened to this girl."
Sabotage arched an eyebrow at the agent. I looked over at Ink to see him lounging back in a chair casually, a lit cigarette between his fingers, the perfect picture of relaxation. But his eyes were cold and calculating, a clear sign that he was watching everything and everyone in the room. "Are you accusing us of hurting women, agent?"
"Are you?" The agent retorted.
Blink barked out a laugh. "Agent, we enjoy pussy, but I assure you, we don't have to force women to get it." He looked over at Ink, and Ink nodded his head once, getting up from his seat and walking over to where I was standing next to Izzy.
"We might be able to help you, though." Sabotage told the agent. "You got a picture of the girl?"
I looked up at Ink for a moment before I looked back at the agent. He placed his hand on the small of my back, leading me closer to Sabotage. The agent pulled out a photo, showing it to Sabotage just as Ink and I stopped beside Sabotage. I stumbled backwards into Ink as I stared at the picture in horror, tears welling in my eyes as Ink gripped my hips to steady me.
That was the girl Jordan had murdered for getting pregnant.
That could be me soon.
"Do you know her, Reina?" Ink asked me.
I jerkily nodded my head, feeling extremely sick and lightheaded. My chest squeezed painfully, my lungs crying for air. "That's her." I sobbed. The image of Jordan beating her until she bled out beneath him flashed through my mind.
I barely registered that Ink was moving me until he pushed me into a chair and pushed my head between my knees. "Breathe, Reina." He commanded, his voice stern, yet gentle as he spoke to me. "Come on, sweet girl, breathe."
I hadn’t heard him call me that in years, and it helped me somewhat.
Once the painful sensation in my chest eased and I was breathing normally again, I looked up at him. He ran his hand over my hair, his other hand wiping some tears off my face. "I need you to be strong and tell these agents what
happened so they can lock everyone up who hurt you and free those other girls before they suffer the same fate, okay?" He soothed.
I didn't trust law enforcement, especially with the knowledge that Jordan had some in his pocket. I shook my head at Ink. "I don't want to talk to them." I choked out. "Jordan has too many connections."
He gently gripped my face in his calloused hands. His eyes were soft and gentle as he looked at me, keeping his eyes level with mine. "I promise, no one will ever hurt you again, Reina, and I promise you that these agents will do what is necessary to make sure Jordan faces prison time, and they'll do what they can to save those other girls. But none of us can do anything if you don't tell them. You’re the only one in this room with the power to save them, sweet girl.”
"Honey," the female agent said as she walked up to us, "he can even be in the room while we speak to you if that helps. Will that help?" She asked me.
I looked back at Ink. He brushed my hair behind my ear. "Whatever you need me to do, Reina." He assured me.
I looked at the agent and nodded. Ink stood up, helping me up from the chair. "She needs to eat lunch, and then I'll bring her down to the station." He informed the agents.
They both nodded in understanding before they shook hands with Sabotage and left the club house. Ink didn't release my hand as he turned to look at Sabotage. "I want two brothers with us at the station. Jordan's going to be looking for her, and this place will be the first place he comes looking for her at. I want extra protection on her while I've got her outside of the clubhouse."
Sabotage nodded in understanding. "Thor, Hatchet, you're both with Ink when he's ready to go." He ordered.
Ink led me to the bar. "Sit here. I'm going to have Izzy put you together a lunch, and then I'm going to go find one of the club girls – see if they have some clothes and shoes that might fit you until we can get you to the store to get you your own." He looked down at me, something I couldn't quite catch flashing through his eyes. He squeezed my hand once before he placed it in my lap. "Remember, come find me if you need something."
I watched him walk away, saying something to Izzy has he moved past her. Sabotage walked over to me, taking a seat on the bar stool next to mine. I tensed slightly, not completely trusting him.
"I don't mind you being here, girly." He told me, taking a swig from a beer as soon as Izzy set one in front of him at the same time she set a sandwich and some chips in front of me with a glass of water. "Just don't repeat the fucking past, alright? You fucked up my Road Captain. I don’t want to see him like that ever again.”
I swallowed hard, nodding at him in understanding. He squeezed my shoulder once as he got up from the bar stool, grabbing his beer as he did so. I barely resisted the urge to flinch. "And don't worry about your brother. If he continues giving you shit, I'll deal with it." He told me.
With that, he nodded once at Izzy and walked away from the bar.
I swallowed hard when Reina came down the stairs in Penny's clothes. The jeans she had on hugged the slight curves she had and brought out the shape of her ass. I felt my cock stir in my jeans.
Fuck, she had always had a hot ass body, and as she had grown into an adult, it obviously had only gotten better. I couldn’t fucking wait for her to actually get back to a healthy weight; I knew when she did, I wouldn’t be able to keep my fucking hands off of her.
I let my eyes trail up her body, my eyes running over the dip in her waist and up to her breasts that were pushed up by the bra Penny had given her, the tank top she had on giving me a glorious view of their swells.
Fuck my cock stirring. My dick was standing at attention.
I wanted her as badly as I did when I was a hormonal eighteen-year-old.
Hatchet let out a low whistle from next to me, making me scowl and fist my hands at my sides. "You tryin' to tell me you ain't tap that when you were younger?" He asked me as he arched a disbelieving eyebrow at me.
I turned my furious gaze to his. He grinned and took a step back from me, holding his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "You tryin' to claim that, brother? Because if you don't, someone else will." He warned me.
"You trying to insinuate something, brother?" I snarled at him, taking a threatening step towards him.
No other man would be touching her or claiming her if I had something to do with it.
Hatchet barked out a laugh, shaking his head. "Ink." Reina spoke up from behind me.
My muscles relaxed a bit as I stepped back from Hatchet, turning to look down at her, cursing silently in my head as I got a damn good look down her shirt.
Fuck me sideways.
She may be tiny as hell from not eating much, but damn if those breasts weren't just about every man's dream come true.
"You ready?" I asked, my voice sounding strangled even to my own ears. I knew the brothers could hear it.
She nodded. I placed my hand on the small of her back and led her out of the clubhouse, knowing without having to turn around that Hatchet and Thor were following me out. Reina instantly grew nervous as she looked towards the gates.
"I don't want to leave, Ink." Reina whispered as tension shot hot and fast through her body, her eyes nervously flickering around the clubhouse grounds.
"You're going to be fine." I told her gruffly. "You're in good hands, I promise. I’m not going to let a fucking thing happen to you.”
I straddled my bike, handing her my helmet. "Strap it on. Once you get on, put your feet on the pegs and wrap your arms around me. You remember how to ride?" I asked her. When we were younger and I had gotten my first bike, I had taken her back and forth to school and to everywhere else she needed or wanted to go. I had loved having her on the back of my bike, and I loved it even more when she had wrapped her body around mine.
She nodded instantly. Once her slender arms wrapped around me, it took everything in me not to swing her around to straddle me and slide my dick into her warm, wet center.
Fuck.
I needed pussy - and soon.
When I got Reina back to the clubhouse later, she wordlessly went straight to the bar and grabbed a bottle of Tequila. She had been silent ever since we left the station, and her eyes were closed off to me, not allowing me to see what she was feeling. I hated that she had learned how to do that. I didn’t want her hiding herself from me. I wanted to know what the fuck was going on in her mind.
When we had gotten to the station, she had actually decided she didn't want me in the room with her. I had no idea what she told those agents, nor what they asked her.
But whatever was said in that room had obviously fucked her up inside.
"What happened?" Sabotage asked as he strode up to me, his eyes moving to Reina for a moment before he focused them back on me.
I shrugged. "Not sure, Prez." I answered gruffly. "She didn't want me in the questioning room when we got there. I had to wait outside with Hatchet and Thor while she was talking to the agents."
"Something's fucking with her, Ink." He told me.
My face twisted into a scowl. "You think I don't know that?" I angrily snapped at my president.
Shaking my head, I moved away from my president, walking towards the woman who was quickly worming her way back under my skin where I really didn't fucking need her. But I couldn’t stop it. I knew I would always want her as mine no matter how hard I tried to fight it. "Let's take a walk." I told her, taking the bottle from her hand and handing it off to Izzy.
Reina shook her head. "I don't want to go anywhere, Ink." She grumbled.
"Don't got much of a choice." I snapped down at her as I grabbed her arm and yanked her off the bar stool. "Let's go."
"Get your fucking hands off of me!" She shouted up at me, trying to yank her arm out of my hand.
I yanked her close to me, forcing myself to ignore her breasts as they pressed against my chest. Fuck, they felt amazing, though. "When I give you a fucking order, Reina, you're expected to follow that goddamn order. I said let's take a fucking walk." I snarled down
at her.
Fear flashed in her eyes, and with a curse, I released her, stepping away from her. I wouldn’t have her afraid of me. I wasn’t my fucking brother.
I needed her to trust me.
Suddenly, gunshots rang out through the clubhouse, and I instantly grabbed Reina, throwing us both to the ground, my larger body covering her smaller one.
Her frightened scream was all I could hear over the loud ringing in my ears. I could barely hear my brothers shouting around me. I knew my main concern at that moment would be to get Reina to safety.
Not a fucking thing could happen to her. I promised her that I would protect her, and I intended to keep that promise.
I gripped Reina's face in my hands, shaking her gently. "Look at me." I commanded roughly, forcing her panicked gaze to lock on mine. "I've got you.” I assured her. “You're going to be fine, but you've got to follow my orders." I instructed. "Do you understand?"