“Anything happens to Violeta, and Rocket will be the least of your worries. Her sister is married to our Pres. What do you think Spider will do to you when he comes home if we don’t get Violeta back in one piece?” Fox asked. “Matter of fact, we’re all pretty fond of that woman. The entire club might decide to take out their anger and frustration on you.”
“F-five miles d-down the h-highway,” the kid stammered.
“What’s five miles down the highway?” I asked.
“Th-their hideout.” He whimpered. “There’s rumors around town. People are saying the Chaos Killers have a place down the highway the past week or two, off the road down a dirt path. Some of my friends got drugs from them.”
“Which way?” Fox asked.
“S-southeast.” The kid audibly swallowed. “Please, if they find out I told you, they’ll kill me.”
I pulled the knife I kept in my boot and pressed the blade to his throat. “They hurt my woman, and you won’t be breathing much longer anyway. I will personally gut you if they’ve violated her.”
“Oh, God.” The stench of urine filled the air as the kid pissed himself again.
I wrinkled my nose and glanced at Fox, who snapped his fingers at Philip. “Clean up this mess and tie the little prick to a chair out back. If he’s going to piss and shit himself, I’d rather it not be in the clubhouse.”
“What’s the plan?” Slider asked.
Surge rushed into the room, slamming down a handful of papers and pictures. I picked up the images and realized they came from the hotel cameras. I flipped through, seeing Vi gagged. Another image showed her over the shoulder of one of the assholes who would die soon. A growl erupted from me as I scanned each one, then started skimming the papers.
“What. The Fuck.” I lifted my gaze to Surge. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
“Sorry, Rocket. I wish I had better news.”
Fox snatched the paper from my hand and started cussing. It was passed to my brothers, and I was trying damn hard to hold it together.
“What is this?” Yankee asked.
“It’s a price list,” Surge said quietly. “They’re going to do a live feed. People will be permitted to bid. The items with the highest amounts are what will happen to Violeta.”
Gunner scanned the list, then promptly threw up. I wasn’t far behind him, but the rage building inside me was overshadowing my need to purge the contents of my stomach. If they thought for one second I would permit this to happen… I locked my gaze with Surge again.
“Take it down. If they can’t go live, then maybe we can stop them before any of this can happen to her.”
Surge looked away before meeting my gaze again, tears gathering in his eyes. I’d never seen the damn man cry in all the time I’d known him. “Rocket… the bidding already started.”
My heart hammered in my chest as he set his laptop on the table and opened it, showing us an image of Vi strapped to a chair, stripped naked, and gagged. If that wasn’t terrifying enough, I could tell that she wasn’t really there. She’d escaped into her mind in an attempt to rise above what was happening. I knew it was how she’d survived before, and my precious girl was trying to hold on until I could get there.
“Screw the fucking plan,” I said. “I’m not waiting. I can’t.”
Fox squeezed my shoulder.
“I failed her,” I said, my voice nearly a whisper. “I can’t let those monsters hurt her more than they have. Do whatever you deem necessary. I’m going after Vi.”
“I’ll come with you,” Yankee said.
Brazil and Patch stepped forward. “Count us in too.”
I gave them a nod and headed out, not caring if Spider chewed my ass out later. I wasn’t going to sit on my ass while they hurt Vi. If Surge learned anything new, anything that would help me save her, I knew he’d send me an update. As I pulled up to the gate, the roar of Harleys made me turn to look. It wasn’t just Yankee, Brazil, and Patch with me. Marauder, Shooter, Fangs, and Dread were coming too. Even if I didn’t know what we’d find when we got there, it didn’t matter. Knowing they had my back, that they had Vi’s back, was enough.
Marcus opened the gate and we pulled out onto the street and hit the highway within minutes. I counted the miles and as we neared the five-mile mark, I watched for the dirt road the little shit had mentioned. It was more of a path than a road, but I pulled down it anyway. A clearing was ahead and I pulled over, cutting the engine on my bike. The others followed suit and we stood to survey the area. There didn’t seem to be any guards outside, which made my gut clench and I had to wonder if maybe the kid had lied, or if Vi was being held somewhere else.
Yankee signaled that he was going to search the area and Gunner went the other direction. My phone buzzed not long after with a message from Yankee.
Bikes and three guards at the back.
When it buzzed again, I saw Gunner’s name.
Two in the trees. They’re down and won’t be getting back up.
Before we went any further, I knew I needed to ask one more thing of Surge.
Cut the feed when we find Violeta. I don’t plan to leave witnesses.
And if he’d found two, there were likely others lurking. I showed the message to the others, then motioned for Shooter and Fangs to head in the same direction as Gunner. I sent Brazil and Patch the other way. Marauder and Dread followed me straight to the front door. No point in knocking. I pulled my foot back and kicked in the door. Cobwebs hung from the rafters and the windows were covered in grime. It looked like no one had used the place in years. As we made our way farther into the crumbling structure, I spotted one of the Chaos Killers guarding a door. His gaze swung our way, but I’d put a bullet between his eyes before he had a chance to even react.
“One down, a lot more to go,” I muttered.
Yankee, Gunner, and the others came through the back.
“All clear,” Yankee said.
I twisted the knob on the now unguarded door, and made my way down the flight of stairs, gun in my hand and ready to fire if necessary. The lighting was dim, but I could see clearly where I was going and how many people were in the room. My sweet Vi had blood dripping off the chair, her hands and feet tied to it. The things they’d done to her made my stomach nearly revolt, but I knew I had to stay strong for her. Without warning or thought, I started shooting, and the first man I took down was the one beside my woman. My brothers fired alongside me and soon the room was bathed in blood. When my clip was empty, I dropped it and loaded another. I wasn’t stopping until every fucker in the room was breathing their last.
When the gunfire stopped, my chest was heaving and I surveyed the destruction. My sweet Vi sat in the center, surrounded by dead bodies, but the moment she saw me, a smile tipped the corner of her lips.
“I knew you’d come,” she said, her words a little garbled.
I holstered my gun and rushed to her side, quickly untying her from the chair. I removed my cut and handed it off to Patch. Then I unbuttoned my shirt and helped Violeta into it. My brothers had already seen far more of her than I liked.
“Got one still alive,” Yankee said.
I turned to see who and snarled. It was the man who had carried Vi from the hotel. Dread made his way over to me and reached out for Violeta, giving me a nod to handle business while he got her out of here. I didn’t want her to see this, to know what I was capable of, but I also wouldn’t let this man get away with dying an easy death. I only wished I could bring back some of the others and spend a little quality time with them and the tools they’d used to hurt my woman.
“Your turn,” I said, hauling the man up by his collar. I shoved him onto the chair and used my knife to slice the clothes from his body, then strapped him down like he’d done to my woman. “Everything you did to her, I’m going to do to you. Does that sound like fun?”
He spat blood at me and grinned. “Can’t hurt me, fucker. I’m already dying.”
“Guess I better hurry, then.�
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His gaze wavered a moment, uncertainty entering his eyes as I reached for the blowtorch on the crude table nearby. The man began screaming and thrashing, but nothing would save him from my wrath. Every wound they’d inflicted on Violeta, I gave back. I tortured the asshole until he passed out, then revived him to do a little more damage.
“You looked at her. Touched her. Spoke to her.” I reached for the paring knife. “Seems only fitting I send you to hell without your eyes, fingers, or tongue.”
The man died before I’d even finished with him, and if I could have brought him back and started all over, I would have. How many others had there been? How many had suffered the way Violeta had? Or possibly worse? I wanted to know every move they’d made, every woman they’d taken and tortured, raped, killed, or sold. Any who were still living would be found, no matter what it took. I owed that to Violeta and Luciana. I wouldn’t allow anyone to go through the same hell they’d endured in Colombia, or what had been done today to Violeta.
“You need to clean up before you see Violeta,” Yankee said softly. “You’ll scare her if she sees you like this.”
I looked down and the blood and gore covering me and had to agree.
“There’s a bathroom in the corner,” Gunner said. “Not the cleanest, but maybe the water works and you can rinse off.”
I went into the small room that contained a tiny shower, sink, and toilet. I stripped out of my boots, jeans, and underwear, handing everything over to Gunner so I wouldn’t have to set it down on the filthy surfaces. The shower sputtered a moment, then ran ice cold. Stepping under the spray, I washed away the evidence of the carnage my fury had brought about, then got out and quickly dressed again, putting my cut on over my bare chest.
“Dread already called the clubhouse. Someone is bringing an SUV to transport Violeta back home. Fox was updated on what happened and he said a cleanup crew would arrive within the hour,” Patch said.
Shit. I’d been so focused on getting to her, I hadn’t given much thought to how I’d get her back home.
“Vi.” I looked at the staircase and hurried that way, stepping over the bodies on the floor, then rushing upstairs. Dread had taken her outside, for which I was grateful. I hoped she hadn’t heard the man’s screams, didn’t know what I’d done.
“She’s going to need better care when we get home,” Dread said. “I treated her best I could with what I had in my saddlebags, but it’s not enough.”
A blue truck came tearing down the path and I reached for my gun, then stopped when I realized who was behind the wheel, and the damn truck was too familiar. One I’d seen often enough before its owner had joined the Navy, leaving behind his cut and his bike.
“When the fuck did Cotton come back?” I asked no one in particular. I knew his ass hadn’t been at the compound when we’d left. No way anyone could have kept that quiet. The fucker had been gone for too damn long.
“I’m guessing now,” Dread said with a smile. “Good timing too.”
The truck slid to a stop and Cotton leapt out. The smile on his face fell when he saw Violeta. His gaze held mine and I gave him a nod. Yeah, I’d dealt with the fuckers responsible. They wouldn’t be hurting anyone else, ever again. Didn’t mean there weren’t other Chaos Killers we’d need to handle, but for now, we could hopefully take some time to come up with a plan. Between shooting our Pres and what they’d done to my woman, I wanted every one of those fuckers in the ground. The only good Chaos Killer was a dead one.
“Cotton, this is my old lady and fiancée, Violeta.” I looked at my woman and knew I needed to make a decision. As much as I loved my bike and loathed the idea of anyone else riding it, I knew Vi needed me. “Take my bike back to the compound and I’ll drive Violeta in the truck. No way she can ride on back of the Harley right now.”
I’d been a fucking idiot not to think about the need for something other than a bunch of damn motorcycles, but I hadn’t exactly been right in the head when I’d left. All I’d thought about was reaching Vi in time to save her. Nothing else had mattered at that moment.
Cotton blinked a few times, probably surprised as hell that I’d let him touch my bike, then he held out his hand. I dropped the keys onto his palm before helping Vi over to the passenger door of the truck. Once I had her buckled in, I hurried to the other side and slammed the door shut. I eased along the bumpy path, wincing with every soft sound of pain that slipped past her lips. I knew she was fighting to be silent. My brave girl.
Reaching over to take her hand, I gave it a gentle squeeze. “You make as much noise as you need to, baby. Scream if it will make you feel better. I won’t judge you for it.”
“Hurts so much, Jesse,” she whispered.
There was a burning need to know just how badly they had hurt her, but I didn’t want to make her answer. My love for her wouldn’t fade even the slightest bit if they’d… I couldn’t even think it. Not because I’d feel differently about her, but because the thought of them hurting her that way made me sick to my stomach.
“Love you, Vi. So fucking much.”
“I love you too, Jesse. I knew you’d come for me. Warned them that they’d all die when you found me.”
My lips twitched as I fought a smile. “Yeah, honey. I made sure they weren’t coming for you again.”
I glanced her way before focusing on the road again. I didn’t know how she felt about that, knowing I had their blood on my hands. Her father had been a violent man, and I didn’t like thinking that she might lump me in with her sperm donor. I’d never hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it, and those assholes should have suffered a lot more. Except the one who’d lingered long enough for me to make him pay. I didn’t even feel like he’d felt enough pain for all that he’d put her through. If I could have kept him alive longer, I would have.
“Good.” She gave my hand a squeeze. “There were others. Before me. Other women, and young girls. A lot of them.”
“How do you know that?” I asked.
“They bragged about it, talked about how some of the men bidding were repeat customers. Jesse, they’ve been doing this to women for years, not just here but other places. They abduct them from various states, hoping no one catches on.” She licked her lips. “I don’t think this was their usual spot. It seemed… unused.”
I translated that into too dirty and not enough blood staining the floor, which made me grimace. I wanted to wipe the memory of today from her mind, but I didn’t know how to even attempt to lessen her pain. Not the physical pain, because I knew that would fade over the upcoming days or weeks, but the emotional and mental anguish she’d suffered could last her a lifetime.
“If Surge discovered what they were doing to you, I’d imagine he can find a trail that will tell us how many times they’ve done this, maybe even find images of the women or names. If they’re alive, they deserve to be found and taken home.”
“And if they aren’t?” she asked.
“Then their families should know so they can have closure.”
She took a shaky breath and I thought I heard rattling in her lungs, making me wonder if she had a broken rib that could have punctured a lung. Or maybe she just had too much blood in her mouth and nose. I glanced over at her again and noticed she’d pressed a hand to her ribs. They’d been bruised and now I had to wonder if far more damage than that been done. I worried she’d punctured a lung, which meant I needed to get us home faster. Once the truck tires gripped pavement, I floored it, eating up the miles between the hell we’d left behind and the safety of home.
“You’re a good man, Jesse. I don’t care what you’ve done outside the law. You have a big heart, and that’s what counts.”
I didn’t feel like a good man, nor did I feel like I deserved a woman like Violeta, but she was mine and I wasn’t letting her go. I’d never loved anyone before, not the romantic kind of love. She was special, and I hoped like hell I didn’t fuck this up. Without her, I’d fall apart. Life wouldn’t be worth living anymore, and I’d
just go through the motions.
But for her… I’d be a better man. Or at least I’d try.
Chapter Five
Violeta
I dreaded having to tell anyone exactly what had happened to me. They hadn’t raped me. They’d threatened to, and had done their best to scare me, to break me. I didn’t want Rocket in the room when I talked to Dread. I’d held the doctor off as long as I could, but I knew once he had his medical bag at the compound and was ready to check me over more thoroughly that he’d have questions, and he’d likely demand answers.
“Jesse, I need you to leave while he patches me up,” I said.
I saw him glare at me and I winced at having used his real name in front of someone else. Not to mention it was his house, and I’d just told him what to do. “Sorry. I meant Rocket. Please. I don’t want you to remember me like this. Give Dread some time to clean my wounds and bandage them. Let me wash and put on some clothes.”
He growled but leaned down and pressed his lips to my forehead. “I’m not pissed you called me Jesse. I’m angry that you want me to leave, but I won’t stay if that’s really what you want.”
“Just for a bit.” I reached up and ran my fingers along his beard. “Promise I’ll have Dread let you back in when he’s done.”
Rocket and Dread shared a look before my sexy biker walked out, closing the door behind him a little harder than usual. My gaze locked with Dread’s. His eyes were dark and anguished, no doubt thinking he knew what I needed to tell him, or what he’d discover during his exam.
I slowly unbutton the shirt Rocket had put on me and undressed. Dread catalogued my wounds, but I could tell he was completely professional and not the least bit turned on by my naked body. If he weren’t an actual medical doctor, then I likely wouldn’t have exposed myself so willingly. Rocket trusted him, as did Spider, so I knew I could as well.
Rocket (Hades Abyss MC 2) Page 6