by Chiah Wilder
Mark stared at her, his eyes roaming over her body. “I think you are the most beautiful and perfect woman I’ve ever seen. I should’ve killed you three months ago, but I wanted to touch you. I want to fuck you.”
“You should’ve just come to me. I would’ve welcomed you. Our dads go way back. They’re buds.”
Then his softness morphed into evilness. “Your fucking father killed mine. He tortured him then let him die slowly—I know it. My mother is still crying over him.”
“My dad wouldn’t do anything like that, especially to Uncle Tug. Maybe he just left.”
“No, he didn’t just run off,” he sneered. “Chigger told me what they did, and I have to vindicate his death. You know the rules of our world. The bitch pays for the sins of her father or brother.” He rubbed his hands over his face then cradled it in them. “I just didn’t plan for you to be so special.” He groaned then stood up and walked over to the black bag on the table.
Kylie’s eyes widened when she saw the paddle, whip, very large dildo, gag, and various clamps for God knows what. Deep shivers shook her body as she tried to quell her rising fear. She had to get him to untie her; that was her only chance.
He walked back over to her with a few of the clamps in his hands. “These will hurt, but they will also give you pleasure.” He stared down at her intently. “I do want to give you pleasure, Kylie. I care very much for you. I have to punish you for fucking Ricky and Jerry, but I’m only doing it because I love you. I don’t want to hurt you like I did that biker’s cunt sister.”
Kylie’s stomach plummeted to her feet. This fucking madman had killed Jerry’s sister and mom? I have to get him to untie me. “Please let me give you pleasure too.”
Mark jerked his head back.
“I want to feel you as much as you want to feel me. Please let me wrap my arms around you.”
He paused, then shook his head. “Each mark I make, each thrust of my cock in you, will please me.” He slowly unbuttoned her blouse. “Your skin is like velvet. I knew it would be.”
Kylie twisted her body to avoid his touch, and he rasped, “I like watching your body writhe. Fuck. You’re all mine now, Kylie. No one’s here but you and me.”
“I’m going to lose it. I really have to go to the bathroom. You can come with me if you don’t believe me, but I have to go. Otherwise I’ll wet the bed, and that’s not too sexy, is it?” She prayed he wasn’t into body fluids.
“You sure you have to go?”
She nodded, her heartbeats strumming.
For a long pause he stared at her and she met his gaze, unflinching and defiant. Finally, he leaned over and untied her arms then her legs, his eyes never leaving hers. She shook out her wrists and ankles to get the feeling back in them. “Thank you,” she whispered, and from the way he smiled, she knew she’d scored some sicko points with him.
She went into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. “I’ll just be a minute.” She turned on the water and splashed some on her face, wincing when she saw her swollen reflection in the mirror. There was no window in the bathroom; she had no idea how she would escape this psycho who was hell-bent on some twisted form of retribution. Maybe she should succumb to him. He seemed taken with her, so maybe he’d let her go.
“Are you almost done?”
“Yeah.” She wiped her face with some toilet paper and opened the door. “Is there anything to drink? I’m very thirsty,” she said sweetly. If she could just keep him talking, maybe her dad would figure out something was terribly wrong, especially when she didn’t come home, or when Johnnie didn’t answer his phone. She was convinced that Mark had done something to the prospect.
“Do you like Coke?” he asked.
“I love it.” She smiled, and he came over and kissed her softly on the lips. That time, she didn’t bite him; she let him enjoy the kiss while she strived to gain his confidence.
He walked to the refrigerator and took out a Coke for her and a Coors for him. He handed her the can and she sat down in one of the chairs near the fireplace. He took one opposite her. “What happened to Mr. Austin? Did you hurt him?”
He laughed. “There never was a Mr. Austin. I made it all up. I hacked into your Facebook and e-mail accounts and saw you were crazy for the wildlife stuff. I pretended to offer you the job. Frankly, Kylie, I was disappointed you fell for it so easily. I’m sure your father taught you to be less trusting.”
“Who was Mrs. Morris?”
“An actress I hired. She needed the money, and I told her I was creating a movie. She has two small kids. She didn’t give a shit what I was doing, as long as I paid her as promised.”
“Clever.” What a fucking nut!
“I’m sorry I have to kill you. I don’t want to. I’d love to keep you for myself, but it’s a fucking shame when the children have to pay for the sins of their fathers.”
“Yeah.” She nodded, the Coke giving her the much-needed sugar boost her body craved.
Mark rose from the chair, narrowing his eyes. “Come on, it’s time I show you a different world of pleasure.” She glanced down at his crotch and saw his erection tenting his pants.
“Okay,” she said softly, noticing a poker nearby.
When Mark turned his back and took out some other items from his black bag, she grabbed and swung the poker, slamming it down hard between his shoulder blades. He cried out then spun around, his eyes bulging, spittle forming at the corners of his mouth. “You fucking cunt!” He charged at her.
With agility, she moved out of the way and he stumbled on top of the bed. She knew she had to kill him; if she didn’t, he’d do awful, sick things to her before he snuffed out her life. She raised the poker and brought it down again, but Mark rolled away at the last second. Furious, he rushed her again, screaming obscenities. Kylie ran to the broken window, but he yanked her back to him by her hair. “You will be severely punished for what you did.” He dragged her to the bed, holding her arms securely at her sides.
In a desperate move, she threw her head back hard, hitting his Adam’s apple, and he moaned, releasing his hold on her. She sprinted away, grabbing the poker again, and that’s when she saw the gun. She stopped in her tracks.
“Get the fuck over here or you’re dead,” he hissed. “And put the fucking poker down.”
At first, she felt resigned, but then she figured he was going to kill her anyway, so she might as well die before he savagely raped her. “I’m not doing shit. You want to kill me? Then fucking do it.” She held her ground.
“It’s too bad I couldn’t fuck you alive, but I’ll still enjoy you when you’re dead.” He lifted the gun and she closed her eyes, tears stinging them as she thought of her dad and Jerry.
Pop! Pop! Pop! The noise was deafening, and she opened her eyes to see the shocked look etched on Mark’s face before he fell facedown on the floor. Then she saw her dad, Jerry, and Hawk in the doorway behind the bed. She ran to her dad and hugged him while she stared at Jerry, tears of relief flowing down her cheeks.
Hawk went over to Mark’s body and nudged him onto his back with the toe of his boot. He whistled low. “Fuck, Kylie, you didn’t need our help. You fuckin’ kicked this bastard’s ass.”
She smiled weakly, but she knew if they hadn’t come in, she would’ve been the body on the floor, not her kidnapper. Part of her felt sorry for the troubled young man whose father taught him nothing but pain and violence. But then she thought of Ricky’s broken body, and the savage way Mark had murdered Kelsey and Wanda, and she knew he wouldn’t have stopped until someone stopped him—until the Insurgents put him down.
Banger went over to the body and stomped his boot on Mark’s face, cussing up a storm. Kylie collapsed into Jerry’s arms, and he held her close as she shook like a leaf, her teeth chattering. She caught her dad’s gaze as she clung onto Jerry then Banger cleared his throat. “Let’s get the fuck outta here.” He turned to Hawk. “You and Jerry take care of this. Come on, little one.” He held out his hand and Kylie pulle
d out of Jerry’s embrace and took it. Her dad wrapped his arm around her trembling body. “You’re gonna be okay. It’s all over now.”
Leaning her head on her dad’s shoulder, she walked out into the sunlight; the darkness had finally passed.
Chapter Thirty-Five
That night, Kylie sat with her father on the front porch, watching the fireflies spark in the night. A cool breeze washed over the heat of the day, and the crickets sang in the swaying branches of the oak trees. Kylie sat with her knees against her chest on the wicker bench on the porch. Her dad sat on the rocker, smoking a joint, his blue gaze fixed on her.
He uncrossed his leg and cleared his throat. “Did the fucker touch you?” His voice was barely a whisper.
She shook her head. She didn’t want to talk about her ordeal just then. The important thing was that Mark was dead. He’d never hurt another woman again.
“You tellin’ me the truth?”
“Yes, Dad.” She took a deep breath. “He was Uncle Tug’s son.”
“I know.”
“He told me you killed Uncle Tug. Is that true?”
Banger didn’t answer. He just blew out a stream of smoke from his joint.
“Is it, Daddy?”
He slowly nodded, and Kylie’s stomach dropped. “Why?”
“It was club business. That’s all you need to know.”
Kylie knew club business meant her dad would never tell her why he killed one of his oldest and best friends. It didn’t stop her from being disturbed by it, though. “How could you have done that?”
“It’s never easy hurting a brother, especially a brother who was a longtime friend. Your Uncle Tug wasn’t the man you think he was. You trust me don’t you?”
She nodded.
“Then you know it was necessary and for a good reason. Your trust in me tells you that.”
“That guy said Uncle Tug used to beat him and his brother. I don’t know if that was true. Uncle Tug was always so nice to me.”
Banger reached over and held her hand. “Tug had a sadistic streak in him. I’d say Mark was telling you the truth. He raised a son to be as sadistic as he was. Life always catches up with us. They both got what was coming to them. I’m just happy you’re safe and he didn’t touch you.”
“I’m okay. I always know the risk in being your daughter, but I wouldn’t trade you for the world.” She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it.
“I could never ask for a better daughter. You make me proud. I’m just fuckin’ sorry you had to go through the shit you did because of me.”
“It comes with the territory. I never blamed you once, so don’t start feeling like this is your fault. He was a sicko. I want to move on from this.”
They sat quietly for a long time, listening to the crickets, the buzz of mosquitoes, and the rumble of cars passing their house. It was finally over, and all Kylie wanted to do was head over to Jerry’s apartment and spend the night wrapped in his arms. She wanted to tell her dad about how much she loved him, and that they wanted to be together with his blessing, but she didn’t think it was the right time. Right then, she knew her father wanted to spend some quiet time with her, to know she was safe and protected.
After a couple of hours, they went inside and Banger engaged the alarm. They climbed the stairs, and before they went in opposite directions to their rooms, he tugged her to him and hugged her tightly. “I’m so fuckin’ happy you’re safe, little girl.” He kissed the top of her head.
“I love you, Dad.” She embraced him tightly. Then they parted, each of them going to their bedrooms, closing their doors.
* * *
At five in the morning, Kylie heard a flurry of activity outside in the hall. She leapt from her bed and threw open the door, seeing her dad’s arm around Belle as he helped her down the stairs.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“The baby’s coming,” Banger said, his face taut and pale.
Kylie’s hand flew over her mouth. “Oh, no. Are you okay, Belle? What do you want me to do?”
“Stay calm. I already got your dad freaking out on me, so don’t you start. I’m going to be fine. I just need to get to the hospital. My water broke, and my contractions are coming pretty quick.” Belle smiled at Kylie, her eyes bright as she took unhurried, careful steps.
“I’m coming too.” Kylie turned around to go back in her room to change.
Belle shook her head. “No. It’s going to be some time until the baby comes. Tell Ethan and Emily, and then you can all come in a little bit.”
“Woman, stop talking and keep walking,” Banger snapped. “I gotta get you to the hospital.”
Kylie caught Belle’s eyes, and both women burst out laughing. “I’ll get everyone together and we’ll be there in an hour. Dad, call me if the baby starts coming out before I get there.”
He nodded and whisked Belle out the door. Kylie rushed to her room to shower and change before waking up Ethan and Emily.
Two hours later, Kylie sat in the waiting room, staring blankly at the pictures of rolling waves and idyllic sands hanging on the walls. Across from her was a rack containing health, women’s, and celebrity magazines. A television hung in one corner, the volume turned up too loud, which irritated the hell out of her. Ethan sat two seats down from her next to his sister, munching on a bag of peanuts while Emily yawned and sipped on coffee.
“How long is it gonna be before I get to see my brother?” Ethan asked.
Emily shrugged and yawned again. Kylie smiled weakly. “We don’t know. It could take a short time or a really long time.” She fixed her gaze back on the door leading to the delivery rooms.
When the third hour rolled in, the delivery room doors opened and Banger walked out, his eyes twinkling and a huge smile on his face. Kylie leapt up and ran over to her dad. “Is he here?” she asked. Emily and Ethan rushed over.
“You all have yourself a healthy nine-pound, three-ounce baby brother. It was fuckin’ something to see. Never thought I’d like seeing it, but it was awesome. Just fuckin’ awesome.”
Kylie hugged her dad, and Emily said, “When can Ethan and I see Mom?”
“We can all go up now. She’s in her room with Harley.”
Emily stared at Banger. “You got my mom to name my brother after a motorcycle?”
He smiled, nodding.
“How the hell did you do that?”
“The delivery room for the name.” He and Kylie laughed while Emily scowled and Ethan jumped up and down excitedly.
“Come on. Let’s go,” Banger said, and the three children followed him down the hospital corridor.
Seeing her little brother made Kylie’s heart swell; he was so tiny and so perfect, with his crop of dark brown hair and tiny hands. She was instantly overcome. “You and Dad made a beautiful baby,” she said to Belle.
Ethan had his head on Belle’s stomach and she stroked his hair with her fingers. “I can’t believe how short my labor was. This pregnancy was a breeze.” She grasped Emily’s hand.
Emily kissed her mom on her cheek. “The baby’s beautiful, Mom. I hate his name, though, so I’m gonna have to come up with a nickname.”
Kylie leaned over and hugged Belle. “I love the name, it suits him.”
Emily rolled her eyes. “Figures.”
They visited with the new mother for a while, but after seeing how exhausted Belle was, Kylie told Emily and Ethan it’d be best to let her and the baby rest. Belle’s doctor wanted her to stay in the hospital for two nights, so they’d have a chance to come back later in the evening to visit with her and Harley.
Later that night, Kylie heard her dad’s footsteps as he shuffled across the tiled floor in the kitchen. When she heard the fizz of the beer can as it popped opened, she smiled and set aside her book on the end table next to the couch. She waited for him to come into the family room. When he entered, he looked happy, but exhausted.
“How’re Belle and Harley doing?” she asked.
“Both
sleeping soundly when I left.” He took a gulp of his beer and laughed. “He’s so fuckin’ small. I remember when you were born, you were all pink with a tuft of yellow hair. Tonight brought back a lot of memories. Fuck. I can’t believe I’ve got a son.”
Kylie leaned over and kissed her dad on his cheek. “You did real good, Dad. He’s adorable, and you’re going to be just great with him like you are with me. Mom would be proud.”
Banger looked at her, his eyes glistening. “I think she would. I know she was in that delivery room laughing her ass off to see the president of an outlaw club nearly choke when he saw the baby’s head coming out. Damn.” He took another swig of beer.
“I’m so glad you were in there. I think it’s totally cool that dads are part of the delivery. I know Belle was happy you were there.”
He chuckled. “The way she was cussing, I thought for a while she regretted her decision, but then the nurse told me it was the pain and to just go with it. I kept helping her and stroking her arms and wiping her forehead. She’s an amazing woman.” He fixed his gaze on Kylie. “I’m happy you’re coming around to accepting Belle. She’s a fine woman, and your old man is crazy about her.”
Kylie nodded. “I know, Dad. I’ve become used to the idea that she’s your wife, and we actually have had some nice conversations over the past couple of months. And I see how happy you are. Whenever she comes into a room, your whole face lights up. I love seeing you that way. I would never take that away from you by being snarky with her. And I know you want me to be happy too, right?”
“Sure, baby girl. I’ve always just wanted the best for you.”
Kylie debated whether it was the right time to tell Banger about her and Jerry, but she didn’t want to deflate the high he was riding on. There was time. She leaned against his shoulder and listened as he recounted the birth of his son.
Chapter Thirty-Six