Seven (Angels of Death MC)

by Hilary Storm

  “Why did you shoot him? I had him.”

  “You still do. I’m just going to make sure you have every chance to give this fucker what he deserves. How is your head?” He nods upwards and for another second I get to see the caring side of Beast.

  “You know if you keep worrying about me, I’m going to think you’re some kind of softie.”

  “Go get my phone and call Blade.” I look at James on the ground screaming between us and don’t leave the room until I watch Beast grip James’ jacket and start to drag him out the door. “Hurry up. I’m going to need your help out here.”

  My heart is racing fast as I move through the house trying to find his phone. I open the door to the room that was closed before and see it on the bed. There are screens on one wall that show different views of the entire house and the land surrounding us. He’s been here the entire time and he just let James come in and get to me before he stopped him. I’m not even sure what to think about that, but it makes me feel better knowing he could at least see me most of the time.

  Glancing quickly, I don’t see a screen showing the bathroom I was in, but who knows if it was also in view when I was taking my shower. I only take the time to scan over it once before running out of the room to help Beast. I have no idea what I’m in for, but I know I need to see this through so I can have some closure on everything that happened to me.

  When I open the front door I can hear James crying out in pain coming from the right side of the house. It takes me a minute to process what I’m seeing when I turn the corner, but I quickly see where this is headed.

  “You made a big fucking mistake coming for one of ours. When you attack one of us, we consider it a direct hit to us all.”

  “You can torture me all you want. But she will always feel me deep inside her. I’ll fucking live on in that bitch’s nightmares and when I do, she’ll hear my laughter as I tear up her ass over and over again.” His words repulse me and for a slight moment I consider going back inside and letting Beast deal with this on his own. Seeing James sprawled out proves Beast is more than capable of doing it by himself.

  “Oh mother fucker, I’m going to enjoy this more than you can ever imagine. She won’t dream of you, but if she does she’ll have brand new memories to keep her warm at night.” Beast tightens the last knot on the rope and sends James spinning when he lifts him off of his feet. He’s tied by his arms to a two by four piece of wood against his back. Beast lights up a cigarette before he begins to walk toward me.

  “Did your brother answer?” Shit, I haven’t dialed his number yet, so I rush to do it as Beast walks past. My eyes lock on James hanging from a tree in front of me as the call tries to connect for what feels like minutes. I find myself walking slowly toward him even though I know I shouldn’t. He looks completely different now that the roles are reversed. The fear in his eyes almost makes me feel sorry for him, but a different memory flashes through my head reminding me why he can’t get away with what he’s done to me. What if he does it to someone else?

  I step in front of him just as he stops swaying from side to side. His eyes pierce into mine and for a second I can’t look into them. It isn’t until I play back more of the torture he put me through that I find the strength to look him in the eyes.

  “Everything changes so quickly, doesn’t it?” My voice even surprises me as I get enough courage to speak over the lump in my throat that’s been suffocating me since I saw him in the house.

  “I’ll make sure I visit you every night and every time someone is fucking you I’ll be there in the back of your head reminding you that I’m the one that controls you. Don’t you see? I have nothing to lose hanging here, so torture me all you want. I’m already headed to hell, but at least I won’t have to deal with the righteous assholes that stole everything from me.”

  “Shut the fuck up before I shoot you in the throat too.” Beast walks up behind me and this time he doesn’t scare me. I’m so deep in thought about everything James is saying that I barely even hear him. “Piper. You’re gonna get closure tonight. I’m handing it to you on a fucking silver platter. You need this and just know James will die tonight whether it be by your hand or mine.” I hear Beast dropping things on the ground before I look back at him.

  Guns, knives, a torch, crowbars, giant clamp looking contraptions, and so many tools I can’t even process all of them. “We have all night if that’s what it takes. We can take this as slow as you want, or we can end it quick, but you will get your closure and know this fucker is gone forever.” This is Beast’s fucked up way of making me better and sadly it’s perfect for me. I don’t know what that says about my character, but this is what I need more than anything. It’s what I needed all those years ago and for sure what I need today.

  “Take your pick.” He points to the ground and I take my time trying to decide. For some reason the blow torch calls to me. It just seems like it would be the most logical thing to start with since I want to torture him some before he goes.

  Beast laughs as I pick up the blowtorch. “Shit is about to get real James. I think you may have fucked with the wrong girl.” I glance over at Beast and watch him cross his arms and stand with his legs a part like a bouncer would. It seems as though he may find even more pleasure in this than I will, but I’ll take it. Him being here is making this possible. I just hope my head can handle what my heart is about to do to this man.

  I light up the torch and walk closer to James. He starts to make an obnoxious sound as he laughs from what I would guess is nervousness.

  “I want to make sure I know you’ll never do this to another woman. Keep laughing, because you won’t be laughing when I’m through with you.” I get close enough for him to feel the heat of the fire near his face. “Seven. There were seven of you against me. That is the most fucked up part about all of this. I have to find the rest of them and make sure they get the same fate as you, if they haven’t already been dealt with by my brother.” I choose not to mention Switch. For some reason I still feel like I need to protect him and keep James from knowing I’m connected to him.

  I change my mind about starting with the blowtorch as my back burns from the cut that’s still fresh enough to make me not forget. Grabbing a switchblade knife and clicking it open before I walk up to him makes me feel even more powerful with a weapon in each hand. These are the only two things I’ll need to get the job done, but who knows where I’ll take this once I get started.

  I let the blade slide over his shirt making sure to cut his skin as I do. His shirt falls open and I make six more cuts as he grits his teeth and yells through each of them. Each cut becomes easier. I find myself watching the blood drip down his skin as I make each slice. It mesmerizes me, so I take my time with each one. I’ve blocked out everything else in the world and find some clarity as the blood from the last cut comes to surface. Seven. Seven cuts. I wish I could’ve cut deeper, but he can still feel these as the blood slowly drains from his body. What I realize in this very moment is that I’m not broken. In fact, I may be stronger in this moment than I’ve been for most of my life.

  The roar of the blowtorch pulls me back to reality. I move it slowly toward him before he begins to scream. He knows what I’m about to do. His jeans burn slowly as his cries become unrecognizable. He’s not wearing any underwear but his nasty pubic hairs singe instantly as I burn this man’s dick.

  I don’t smell him burning. I don’t hear him screaming. I don’t hear my own heartbeat. I hear the sound of the torch as it burns him until I’ve literally watched a dick melt from fire. That is an image that I’ve burnt into my memory and I hope like hell if he makes it to my thoughts in the future, that is what I see.

  I step back and make myself listen to him. I make myself look into his tortured eyes before I turn off the torch and set it back on the ground. I could cut his throat and end him right here. I could watch his blood drip from his lifeless body until I feel complete closure, but honestly I already have what I need to walk away from this
and never look back.

  “Beast. Thank you.” I wrap my arms around his giant body before I pick up my last torture tool. I’m ready for this to be over and there’s only one thing that comes to mind. I slide the sharp serrated steel across the front of his throat and find myself watching the blood again. Is it fucked up that this keeps hypnotizing me?

  James’s body starts to convulse while his own blood pools underneath him in the dirt. The sounds of him choking on his own blood gives me a dark satisfaction, more than I thought possible when I plotted my own revenge in my head over the past few days.

  My mind finally kicks in and says it’s not enough, so I lift the blade over my head, grab onto it with both hands and then stab it into his chest, making sure to hit him right in his stone cold heart. He makes a few gurgling sounds before his head drops and his body becomes motionless.

  I just killed a man. No, I just killed a monster.

  The sound of a truck driving up should pull me from staring at him, but it doesn’t. Beast moves in behind me and wraps his arms around me while I hold the knife down at my side. “Remind me never to fuck with you. You act like your damn brother out here.”

  Slow and steady footsteps tell me its Blade and I’m guessing Switch. I can’t process anything except the fact that I need a shower to remove James from my life completely. His blood still stains my skin and the last thing I want to do is leave it on me longer than necessary.

  I step forward and Beast releases his hold on me before I drop the knife to the ground at my feet. Their voices become mumbled as I walk to the house, never looking anyone in the eye as I pass by. I see Switch’s boots stop in front of me before I can feel his arms pull me in for a hug like I’ve never had in my life. “That was the last one. We got the rest of them.”

  I finally get a deep breath after he speaks to me. It’s as if a thousand pounds just left my shoulders and for the first time I feel like there’s going to be life after all of this. Switch kisses my lips then holds me for a long time and I feel a single tear, not because I’m sad but because I can finally feel it’s over. I push back on Switch, take him by the hand and lead him inside.

  “Please just wait for me while I shower. I promise we can talk after, but I need to get this off of me now.” I look down at my hands and see bright red blood all over me. He lets me walk away and I love him for that. I need this shower more than anything right now.

  Opening the shower door, I step inside and let the water rinse me, clothes and all. Overwhelming hysteria begins to swarm my head and before I have a chance to truly panic, I hear the door open and see Switch’s large body moving toward me. He kicks off his boots and then opens the shower door and steps inside with me. The water soaks our clothes instantly, but neither of us focus on that. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me in tight and simply holds me while the pent up tears run down my face.

  I missed him so much. How could I ever consider not having him in my life?

  Chapter Seventeen

  Switch

  Fucking Piper, come on! I need you to wake up.

  It’s been hours and I’m coming unglued just sitting at the side of her bed watching her sleep. I hauled her ass to the doctor as soon as our shower was over. She said she got the all clear from the doctor, but how the fuck would I know? She went in when I dropped her off at the door. She went in without me and they wouldn’t let me back in her room. Shit got completely insane for a few minutes until she called me and told me to calm the fuck down. I won’t apologize for wanting to be with her when she went through even more evaluations, but I can’t trust anyone with her life anymore.

  Shit. I need to see her eyes now. I need to hear her voice and know she’s alright. I need to know that we’re going to be fine and that she’s coming home with me as soon as she feels better.

  I can’t believe what she did to James. I had no idea she had that in her and I feel guilty as fuck for not being here for her when she went through all of that. He never should’ve gotten to her, yet he did. I can’t even blame Beast. He did everything perfectly, even luring James into the house when he knew he was outside. I never would’ve waited for him to come in and would’ve probably lost him in this fucking forest when I went out guns blazing into the open.

  I look at her brown hair sprawled over her face and fight the urge to brush it out of the way so I can see her. She’s still my poison. She makes me insane, but the thought of being without her is so much worse than the chaos I feel when she’s near.

  “Jesus, Piper. How much longer do I have to wait to hear your voice?” My intended whisper didn’t really come out as one and she begins to stir. Good. I’m fucking impatient and need to talk to her.

  “Hey you.” Her voice is raspy as she shifts in the bed so she can see me. She looks like she’s lost weight since I last saw her. I can see it in her face now that I’m looking straight into it.

  “How do you feel?” I reach out and put my hand on her leg and watch her eyes move to where I’m touching her. She moves immediately so I’m forced to move my hand away. I know better than to fucking rush things after she was attacked like that. What the fuck is wrong with me? I need to respect her space, but that’s hard when all I want to do is wrap her the fuck up and never let her go.

  “Everything you did back there…” My gut aches with fucking guilt for letting all of this happen to her. I hate this shit and need her to know I’ll do everything to never let it happen again. “I will never let anything happen like this again.” I feel the anger and frustration still swelling up inside me even further. It silences me because I can’t fucking speak over this terrible feeling I have.

  “Why are you acting crazy?” She reaches for my hand and pulls it toward her.

  “You had me fucking worried, the second we found out we started racing here and…”

  “Shhh, get in bed with me. I want to feel you next to me, we can talk later.” She moves over to make room for me, but not until she looks at me with those perfect eyes. The whole world melts and everything feels fine; I can’t say how, but the look she gives me calms me. I move in next to her even though the hospital bed isn’t big enough for my big ass. It gives me a reason to wrap around her and hold her like I’ve been wanting to do for days.

  “I’ll always be here for you, Piper.” I inhale her hair as I pull her against my chest. She shifts until she’s against my chest and then she allows me to hold her. The nurses come in, but never say a word. I can feel that she’s still awake, but I let them all believe she’s sleeping. This is the best therapy for her. Hell, it’s exactly what I need.

  “I’m going to miss you taking care of me.” My entire body locks up when she speaks. What the fuck does she mean ‘miss’?

  “You’ll never miss me. You’re gonna be so fucking tired of my ass soon.” She shifts out of my arms and begins to get out of bed before I grab her arm to stop her.

  “Please don’t,” she whispers as she drops her head and speaks away from me.

  “You fucking don’t. Don’t pull away from me and you sure as fuck don’t stop talking to me.” I sit up in the bed to get closer to her.

  “I have to.”

  “No you don’t. All I’ve wanted since this happened was to move back time and fix it all for you, yet somehow you found a way to fix it yourself. I’ll never leave you again and I’ll always be here to protect you, even if your stubborn ass doesn’t want it. And fuck if I ever let you out of my sight again.”

  “Don’t make this harder than it has to be. I can’t live like that and I wouldn’t think you’d want me to.” I don’t want her to be in danger, but being away from me will be even worse.

  “Fine. I’ll leave the club just to make sure you’re safe.” Her eyes go wide as she comprehends what I’m saying. I stand and walk around the bed to where she is before I lift her hand in mine to bring her to her feet. “I mean every fucking word when I say I’ll do anything to make sure you’re safe. This shit will never happen to you again for as long as I live.�
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  “Switch, I can’t force you to leave the club. It’s your life. Those are your brothers and they’d do anything for you.”

  “And they’ll understand why I have to go.” I pull her face so that she’s looking me straight in the eyes as I say what I need to say. “I’ll either spend my entire life looking for you, or you can just embrace the fact that I want to be with you. You can’t walk away from what we have, just like I couldn’t.” Tears fill her eyes and she swallows hard and I think for one short second I have her in the palm of my hands.

  “I’m pregnant.” My soul freezes. My heart stops and my hands tense up next to her face. She can feel the change in me, no matter how hard I tried to disguise it. I know this means it could be mine. I also know it means it could also be James’. I try to recover quickly, but I know she saw the shock spread across my face before I had the chance to process it all.

  “Perfect. This baby needs his father. Now there’s no way in hell you’re walking away from me.” She lays her hand on my arm and pulls it away from her face slowly as she looks me in the eyes. She’s telling me no with her expression, but I refuse to listen. Fuck this. She deserves to have a man who would do anything for her and if me saying I’d leave the club for her doesn’t prove how much I love her, then nothing will.

  “Stop. You know it may not even be yours…”

  “No you fucking stop. It is mine. This baby is mine. No matter who laid the fucking seed, this baby will always know me as his father.” Fucking tears well up in my eyes for the first time in my adult life. How in the fuck I’m ready for this, I’ll never know. But the second I saw the hurt in her eyes I knew what I wanted in my life. I want her. All of her. “Piper. You came into my life like a fucking hurricane. I haven’t been the same since I met you and I don’t want to ever be. You are the strongest woman I’ve ever met and I can’t imagine myself without you. You’ve consumed my fucking mind since I met you. I’m not going to take no for an answer. I want you. All of you.”