Her heart almost burst out of her chest as she reached for her cellphone and scrambled to dial 911, but she couldn’t do it fast enough.
Within seconds the door to her room crashed open and a huge, hulking figure came into view. Eve was trembling and she knew that there was nothing she could do but scream.
As she bellowed so loud she thought she might burst her own eardrums, the shadowy figure in front of her came into view and her nightmare was fully realized.
She recognized the man.
He was clad in leather and had a long beard.
It was the bat-swinging maniac from the alleyway and he was there… in her bedroom…
This was no coincidence… Someone had seen her and they had followed her home.
They had come to make sure that the only witness wouldn’t talk.
“Please,” she stammered. “Please don’t hurt me!”
She held up her hand and cowered down as her cellphone tumbled off the bed and onto the floor. The man stomped on it with his huge steel capped boot and pulled her by the arm out of her bed and up towards him. He was so strong and powerful she knew she couldn’t resist.
Without saying a word he clamped a hand over her mouth and with the other handcuffed her wrists behind her back. In the haze she had no idea what was happening but in an instant a rag was shoved in her mouth and her world went black.
She felt him lift her over his shoulder and she heard the clomp of his boots as he moved down the hallway. She was powerless and terrified and she knew there was nothing she could do.
Whoever he was, Eve was at his mercy… she was being kidnapped.
4.
She awoke with her hands bound high above her against an iron railing. She was shivering and the cold bit her skin as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes and groggily tried to figure out what was happening. She wasn’t at home. She was somewhere she didn’t recognize.
“Hello?” she croaked as she forced her eyes open fully and looked around.
The room was bare and dark. The mattress she was lying on was supposed to resemble a bed but it was patchy and hard. A sharp spring poked out of the foam next to her on her right side and she could see that it was dirty.
She shifted her weight and tried to move herself off it, but her hands were bound so tightly above her that she couldn’t shift an inch. As she became more conscious and more aware that she was trapped, her pulse raced faster and she began to panic.
“Help!” she screamed and she kicked out her feet trying to free herself but failing miserably.
She looked down at the floor and at how cold and gray it looked and it made her shiver even more.
Oh God, she thought. What the hell am I going to do? Where am I?
Her mind raced and she remembered the man… the cracking of the bat in the alleyway… the figure looming above her as she should have been safe in her bed… and now she was here, in a dark, cold room that she didn’t know. She tried to pull her knees up to her chest but her energy was fleeting. She was exhausted as if she had just run a marathon, but she knew it was from trauma.
She had been scared half to death.
She began to cry quietly to herself when she heard the sounds of heavy boots coming towards the doorway and she held her breath. As the door began to open she knew instantly who was going to come inside, and when the long beard came into view she couldn’t help but wail.
“Please,” she begged. “Don’t hurt me!”
The huge hulking man, clad in leathers and with the meanest look on his face that Eve had ever seen, snarled as he closed the door behind him and stood staring at her.
He folded his arms across his chest and breathed in and out deeply.
Eve was petrified. She stared back at him in terror and didn’t dare move. He was so big and intimidating that she didn’t dare speak. She watched the way his eyes glossed over her. He seemed to be taking in each little detail on her face, as if he was taking a snapshot of her and committing her to memory.
“I heard you were my audience in the alleyway,” he spoke finally. “What did you see, girl?”
His voice was deep and menacing and Eve trembled as she looked up at him.
“Nothing,” she finally stammered. “I didn’t see anything.”
She shook as she remembered what it had looked like as the man that was now stood in front of her had swung the bat high over his head before crashing it down onto the face of another.
He was a brute.
A criminal…
… and quite possibly even a murderer.
“Well, we’ll find out I suppose,” he said with a sneer before he turned and heaved the heavy metal door open before letting it crash closed behind him.
Eve let out a lung full of air and panted. She was dizzy and disorientated and could barely comprehend what was happening.
She had been kidnapped by the criminal she had accidentally stumbled upon on her way to the New Year’s party. She was being held captive for information, or worse. She was completely screwed.
Shit, she thought as she bit her lip.
Just when she was about to try her luck with the restraints on her wrists again and attempt to wriggle free, she heard another set of steps coming down the hallway. They were just as loud and heavy as the bearded man, but she knew they weren’t his. There was just something about the way this person moved with less urgency and aggression. She knew that whoever was going to come through the door this time was either coming to break her, or save her.
She felt a tear roll down her cheek as she looked up towards the door with wide eyes. And as it creaked open and the figure on the other side came into view, she was sure her heart stopped for a moment.
He stood tall at over six foot and his sandy blonde hair fell down around his eyes as he stepped through the doorway, letting in a slice of light. He looked down at her and as his dark eyes found hers she sensed a warmness in them that she hadn’t been expecting to find in this situation. His frame was huge. His muscles were ripped and seemed to swell out from under his clothes. But unlike the man with the beard, he wasn’t all clad in leather, he wore a pair of ripped, low slung jeans and a vest.
Eve swallowed as she stared up at him, her eyes wide with more than fear. She knew the second she laid eyes on him that he was going to be trouble for her in more ways than one. He was like a God stood above her. He was incredible.
Oh my God, she thought trying to force the naughty ideas from her mind. You’re at the mercy of these men… don’t get turned on.
She shuffled back on the mattress and waited for him to come closer, but he stood in the doorway as if he didn’t know what to do or how to act.
Finally he stepped further inside and closed the door behind him. He cracked his knuckles and Eve winced. Maybe her initial impression had been wrong. Maybe he was there to break her.
“You’re in a lot of trouble,” he whispered through the darkness.
Eve sobbed quietly as her hopes of a savior faded away.
“Mack and the boys saw you watching and sent one of the prospects to follow you home.”
Eve closed her eyes. She didn’t want to know what was coming.
“Prospects?” she finally managed to speak.
“One of the boys trying to get into the club.”
So she was right, they were bikers. She looked up at the handsome man in front of her who seemed so different to the one with the beard. He seemed softer even though she could tell he was bad to the bone and so strong and powerful he could tear her in two.
“It’s a good job I’m here,” he said finally with a wry smile. “Otherwise you really would be fucked.”
Eve’s ears pricked up and she stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate.
“I’m going to get you out of here,” he whispered before he held a lone finger to his lips in a hush. “Do exactly what I say and everything will be fine.”
Eve’s heart swelled with thankfulness and she was about to plead with him to untie her right t
hen and there when another set of steps started down the hallway outside of the room.
“Shh,” he said to her. “Don’t say a word.”
5.
The door cracked open and the bearded brute stood there in front of them.
“Did she talk yet Jonny?” he snarled.
Jonny, the man who had said he was going to save her, instantly changed his demeanor and shook his head.
“Nah,” he said. “I’m gonna need some serious time. I’ll get her to talk though Mack.”
Mack twisted a long finger into his beard and snarled.
“Make her talk fast, I want to know where she came from.” he looked down at Eve with a hateful stare before he turned and, reaching into his pocket, pulled out a long length of wire.
“Bind her with this instead… it should get things moving,” he sneered with a gruff laugh before he turned and headed back out of the door.
Eve’s heart was pounding. What on earth was going on?
Jonny turned to her and shrugged.
“See,” he said. “They think you’re something to do with a rival gang… and they don’t want you talking.”
“A rival gang?” she stammered. “But I was just on my way to a New Year’s party. Please, you’ve got to let me go.”
Jonny smiled and bent down at the knees so he was eye to eye with her. She could smell his cologne and it was intoxicating, it was earthy, musky and powerful, just like him.
“I know you’re no threat, but things around here have been pretty crazy and they’re all on edge.”
Eve blinked back tears as Jonny reached above her head and slackened off the ties at her wrists slightly.
“I can’t undo you fully,” he sighed. “If they come back in they’ll know I’m helping you.”
“Who are you?” she whispered as she looked into his eyes. None of it made any sense. If he was part of the club and they believed her to be a threat, why was he helping her?
“All you need to know is, I’m on your side,” he said as he brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and smiled.
Eve’s heart was racing, but it wasn’t from fear. When Jonny had touched her, it had felt electric. Her whole body seemed to respond to him, even though she was frightened and unsure of whether he could be trusted. She thought of Mack and the way he had burst into her bedroom and snatched her from her bed. And how she had woken up in the cold, dark room, tied to a set of railings and wondering how on earth she was going to escape. Now she had her answer. He was right in front of her and even though she didn’t yet know if she could trust him, he was all she had.
“Please,” she whispered. “I’ll do anything you want, just get me out of here and take me home.”
“Home?” Jonny looked at her with doubt. “The last place you’ll be going is home.” he seemed saddened by the admission.
“But…”
“You’ll be on the run,” he said. “I’ll get you out of here, but there’s no going back.”
She looked into his eyes and could see the sincerity. He meant every word. Whoever he was, he meant business.
“The man in the alley…” she changed the subject. “Who was he? What happened to him?”
Jonny broke her gaze and looked down at the floor before straightening out and standing tall.
“I’m going to need you to make a commotion,” he said changing the subject. “I need you to act like you’ve gone wild so I can take you out of the clubhouse and into one of the garages.”
“But… what?” she was so confused.
“We don’t have much time,” he spat ferociously. “We have to get out of here in the next hour before the rest of the club arrive… or we’re both screwed.”
Eve nodded and even though her mind was a mess she knew she didn’t have any other option but to trust him. Mack was clearly going to hurt her if she didn’t get out of there, and Jonny was her only salvation.
“What do you need me to do?” she said as she sat up straight and tried to gather her thoughts.
“Okay,” Jonny smiled. “I’m going to untie you and I need you to kick and scream like a banshee. I’ll restrain you, but I need you to keep fighting me, okay?”
She nodded. Her heart raced.
“They’ll come in and see that you’ve broken free. I’ll tell them it was when I was retying you with wire. I’ll say I need you in the garage so I can strap you to one of the machines in there.”
Eve felt the tears welling up behind her eyes again.
“Listen,” he said. “This isn’t the time to get precious, you need to act and you need to act now.”
She nodded and pulled herself together.
“You ready?” he asked as he leaned forward and started to untie her wrists.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” she sighed.
6.
Jonny untied her hands and she jumped to her feet. They stood opposite each other and looked deep into each other’s eyes. She still had no idea who this man was, but he was committed to getting her out of there and she had no other option but to trust him. He nodded at her slowly and she knew that she had to go for it. She had to scream and fight with him with all she had.
As she slammed into him and he wrapped his arms around her, she screamed at the top of her lungs and pummeled her fists against his rock hard chest. Jonny held onto her by the tops of her arms and he pushed her back against the wall with such ease it was as if she was as light as a feather. Even though they were just pretending she could tell that if he really wanted to fight her, he could crush her. He was so strong, so powerful and so ripped, she had never known anything like it.
“Scream louder,” he whispered as he pushed himself up against her and they smacked into the wall.
Eve kicked out against him and shouted as loud as she could, whilst wrestling against him and trying to make it look as genuine as possible.
Within moments she could hear the thundering of footsteps coming down the hallway and she ramped up her protest even more. She kicked and screamed and pushed Jonny away from her, trying to wriggle free, but he easily kept hold of her and kept her in place.
The door burst open and Mack came in with fury all over his face.
“What the fuck?” he spat as he took one look at Jonny and her wrestling against the wall. Eve gave up the fight as if she knew she was defeated.
“She’s feisty,” Jonny laughed. “I don’t think wire’s going to cut it,” he pulled Eve up to her feet and took hold of her by the neck. “I’ll take her out to one of the garages, strap her up to one of the machines… know what I’m saying?”
A knowing smile flickered over Mack’s face and it was so sinister Eve barely dared to imagine what kind of machines they were referring to.
“Take her down,” Mack snarled. “I’ll be there in ten.”
Jonny adjusted his hold on Eve’s neck and marched her out of the darkened room and into the hallway. She could immediately see that she was in the bowels of the club house. The smell down here was of old cigarettes and stale booze and she could hear the pounding of music drifting down through the floorboards from above. She shuddered as Jonny frog marched her, gripping onto her neck and hair and shoving her towards a fire exit that would take them out into the fresh air.
As soon as the air hit her she breathed in deeply. She could hear Mack behind them lighting up a cigarette and hacking as he inhaled. She shuddered as Jonny pulled her across the crowded parking lot and towards an old looking wooden garage. There were cars and bikes everywhere, but not another person in sight. It was as if they were out in the middle of nowhere even though they were still in the center of the city.
Jonny opened the garage and pushed her inside. Eve staggered forwards and turned to look back at him. He peered through a crack in the wooden door as he waited for a moment and held a hand up to tell Eve to be quiet. She did as he asked as her heart pounded so loud she felt as if the whole world could hear it.
“When he goes back inside, we’re out of here,” he whi
spered. “Get on the back of the bike.”
Eve looked around and behind her she saw it… a huge glistening Harley. She had never ridden a bike before and she hadn’t realized how big they were up close, she had only ever seen them on TV or in magazines but now she was in front of one, she realized how stunning they were and she gasped as she ran her fingertips along the ice cold metal.
“Get on,” Jonny demanded before he slowly opened the door a crack and ran over to meet her. He pulled her onto the bike and she wrapped her arms around him. As he pushed them forward without starting the engine the tension was almost too much to bear. What if they made a go for it and Mack was waiting on the other side of the door… or worse, the rest of the club?
Even though she was terrified, she could tell that Jonny knew what he was doing. He was in control and he was set on getting them out of there. As he waited for the perfect moment he reached down and squeezed Eve’s arm lightly before he whispered, “Here we go,” and then he roared the engine to life, kicked back off the ground and they flew out of the wooden double doors and out into the night.
As they bounced out of the parking lot of the club and weaved through the city streets Eve felt like squealing with relief. She had got away. They were out of there and the sun hadn’t even started to rise.
She gripped onto Jonny’s waist and buried her face into the back of his neck with relief. She had never been so frightened in her entire life and he had saved her. He had taken her away from those terrifying men and now she was sure that everything would be okay.
7.
They rode until the sun began to rise and Eve’s eyes were heavy with tiredness. They had left the city behind and were out on the highway, working their way North and out towards the mountain towns.
When Jonny finally pulled off the highway and out towards a motel Eve breathed a sigh of relief. She was ready to regroup and rest, she needed to know what the hell was going on.
HUNTER (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 11) Page 132