Vipers Run

by Stephanie Tyler

  I knew all about the history of the Vipers, how the MC had started with a friend of Preacher’s father, and how Preacher finally took it over and got rid of all the bad shit. His words, not mine. Bad shit to Vipers equaled drugs.

  “I remember when Preacher came and cleaned house. We all thought that the MC would actually go legit. But that didn’t happen. Sure, they got rid of the drugs, but not the guns or the violence. And they bring other violence into Skulls Creek, whether it’s their fault or not. Calla, I’ve seen girls like you chewed on and spit out by these guys, time and time again. When a Viper gets through with you, there’s nothing left. Doesn’t matter if you’re a mama or an old lady—the same thing will happen.”

  “Sounds like you have personal experience?” I asked, unable to stop the wiseass comment.

  Her expression shuttered, but she nodded briefly. “My sister.”

  “Your sister dated one of the Vipers?”

  “No, one of the Heathens.”

  I lifted my chin. “That’s not the same thing at all, Detective.”

  “Bullshit. Cage is a crossover from the Heathens. That just proves to me that these guys are interchangeable.”

  “They’re not angels, but they don’t pretend to be. They do a lot of legitimate business in this city, don’t they? Look at the buildings they own. The stores too. They don’t bring their problems within the city limits.”

  “Drugs are being pushed in here because of them.”

  “Drugs are being pushed everywhere,” I pointed out. “Without Vipers, I’d hate to see how easily it would happen. There’s always going to be an underworld of criminals. Sometimes it takes bad guys to fight bad guys. And sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys.”

  “You’re really naive to believe that.”

  “You don’t know my background at all.”

  “I can tell just by looking at you. Rich bitch looking for a bad boy to make her feel good. You’ll slum for a little bit, but, honey, get out while you can.” She got up then, effectively ending the discussion. And then she turned. “I’ll find a way to take them down if it’s the last thing I do. Consider that a warning. And I won’t go easy on you or any of the women there. You’re as complicit as the men you hang out with. Try that on for size.”

  I didn’t want to. I didn’t break her gaze, forcing her to when she finally walked away, shutting the heavy steel door behind her. I didn’t want to go in and let Holly see me upset, but Detective Flores’s words definitely had an effect. If I didn’t know better, I’d think that Cage asked her to talk some sense into me.

  He didn’t want to let me go, he said, but he also hated the idea of me staying. I’d never been more confused in my life.

  I put the towel over my face, let it stay there for a second and then pulled it down slowly. When it got past my lips, I opened my eyes. And I tried to scream.

  Chapter 34

  I blinked and coughed. I tried to remember where I was, what had happened. My mouth tasted awful, like some kind of medicine.

  He’d stuffed a rag into my mouth when I’d started to scream. And now Agent Jeffrey Harris stood over me as I lay on the ground, immobilized. My hands were tied above my head, and when I tugged them I felt that they were tied to something in the ground. I wouldn’t take my eyes off Harris, though. My legs were similarly tied, but I was thankfully dressed.

  Maybe he was just going to kill me.

  That was my thought—and honestly, if that happened, I’d be lucky. I couldn’t take another violation. I’d barely survived the last one.

  That’s when he put the knife against the center of my chest, right between my breasts, and dragged it down, slicing my shirt, bra and shorts right down the middle. Cutting my skin, and I watched in horror as my body was exposed and blood welled along my breasts and belly. He stopped at my crotch, put the knife down and ripped the shorts and my underwear in two, leaving them in tatters.

  I shivered, from fear, the cold, the cuts . . . and he laughed. Took out the gag and I spat, “You . . . fucker.”

  “You crossed my path again, Calla. That’s a sign we weren’t done yet.”

  “I won’t stay quiet this time.”

  “I know. But you’re not going to have a choice.” He shrugged as he ran a finger over my nipple. “It wasn’t as much fun for me when you weren’t awake. I bet you’re even more of a firecracker in bed these days. Have to be, to catch the eye of one of the Vipers guys.”

  He rubbed a hand on his chin as he stared down at his ringing phone. He pressed the screen and I heard, “You got the bitch?”

  “She’s ready and willing,” he said.

  God no . . . no . . .

  I hadn’t realized I’d started screaming until he grabbed the gag and began to stuff it inside my mouth again so I couldn’t say anything, let alone breathe. Because I’d started to panic, hyperventilate . . . and I did the only thing I could think of. I head-butted him, hard. He looked stunned the first time, and I did it twice more before I passed out.

  When I woke again, we weren’t in the woods. I was lying on a table in a place that looked a little bit like the Vipers clubhouse, but the wood paneling was darker. I was on a hard, raised surface—it took me a second to realize it was a pool table. And it was far too quiet.

  “Place is soundproofed,” Jeffrey told me. My head jerked toward the dark corner and the sound of his voice. Had he just been sitting there watching me? “You’ll make a great present for the Heathens. Especially Troy.”

  No. Not Cage’s brother. “You’re a sadistic bastard.”

  “You make it sound like that’s a bad thing.”

  I swallowed hard. Stared at the ceiling instead of him. “Why?”

  “Really? That’s what you want to know?”

  “Yes. I get why now, why here. Your symbolism’s not exactly original, but I’d expect that from someone whose family had to buy him into private school.” I heard a snarl, knew I was pushing my luck, but didn’t care. “How many other girls have you done this to? How many women?”

  “More than I can count, but none of them were like you. You were really special, Calla. My first. They say you never forget your first.”

  “You fucking bastard.”

  “It’ll be nice to have you awake for the whole thing. I’ll film it this time, and once the Heathens have their way with you . . .”

  God, he’d let them kill me. Or was I supposed to beg for my life?

  I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “Cage will find you, Jeffrey. I can’t feel sorry for myself knowing what he’ll do to you when he finds you.”

  I thought I saw him pale slightly, but maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part. I heard the bikes pull up—Heathen bikes—and when I looked back up at Jeffrey, he was smiling.

  * * *

  I closed my eyes when I heard the doors slam open and the rough voices began to yell. God, this couldn’t be happening. I kept my eyes closed even after I heard fighting, because if I didn’t look, none of this would be real.

  It was only when I felt a familiar, rough touch on my cheek and heard his voice murmur, “Calla, baby, I’m here,” that I opened my eyes to see him.

  “I don’t want you to see me like this,” I told him.

  But Cage shook his head, even as he shrugged his jacket off to cover me.

  “I’m just happy to see you.” His eyes were wet, his voice hoarse, and I felt someone working the ropes on both my arms and legs. He touched my face again.

  “You . . . the Heathens . . .”

  “We stopped them at the bottom of the hill. Rode their bikes up to surprise Harris. Thank God we found you in time.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Jesus.” He touched my bruised forehead and then my lips and my neck and I realized he was making the sign of the cross over me, blessi
ng me.

  “I want to walk out of here,” I told him when I was untied. He gave me his T-shirt to put on, wrapped blankets around me, slid his jacket on over everything.

  Rocco was by the door and Preacher was there, watching us without watching.

  “Where’s Jeffrey?” I asked.

  “He’s here,” Cage told me. “Eli, can you take Calla to the truck? Connor’s there waiting.”

  Cage kissed me; then Eli came to my side. I didn’t understand why until Cage moved away and I heard Jeffrey Harris’s scream, almost a howl. I met Eli’s eyes and he nodded. As he led me away I looked over my shoulder. Rally and Preacher were holding Jeffrey for Cage, and although I didn’t see everything, I knew what the blood between Harris’s legs meant.

  He’d never do this to another woman. He’d never haunt me again. This was justice. And the police were nowhere to be found.

  I thought about all of that as I let a boy who was more of a man than Harris would ever be lead me to the safety of a waiting truck. Connor, from the backseat, said, “Preacher said to go to the clubhouse. They’ll meet us there. Cops are on their way.”

  Eli pulled away and I said, “Wait—you’re not—”

  “Not old enough to drive? I’ve got a license,” he said, like that was all that mattered.

  I was so grateful to be safe, I didn’t care. He’d turned up the heat because I was shivering, then said, “Cage is right behind us, okay? He’ll come to you as soon as he can.”

  “He saved me,” I whispered.

  “Yeah, he did.”

  “Again.”

  “He’s good at that.” He grabbed another blanket from Connor and handed it to me. As I spread it over my legs, he said, “You’re going to be okay, Calla.”

  “So are you,” I told him, and his expression tightened. “He won’t let you go back.”

  “Cage might not have a choice.”

  “Cage always has a choice.”

  * * *

  Sometimes, knives were far more effective than money or power. Cage stood over Harris’s crumpled body as the man sobbed.

  Harris would die here. Calla’s file would be anonymously sent to the FBI with her name redacted. They would also get pictures of what he’d done to her—two of them, because that’s all he could stand to let Preacher snap before he ran in to rescue her.

  Thank God for Holly . . . and for Detective Flores. When he’d figured out where Calla was, Cage had sent Flores on a wild-goose chase, because she’d have simply taken Harris into custody. And that wasn’t nearly good enough for him.

  “That one’s for Calla. The next one, that’s for Eli. And the last one will be for me,” Cage growled, his hand curled around the knife. He wiped it on the grass next to Harris’s face and he forced the man to look at him. “Rot in hell, motherfucker.”

  And then he walked out of the Heathens clubhouse and away from any guilt, because for this, he had none.

  “Now what?” Preacher asked.

  “I’m resisting the urge to find the other two who hurt her,” Cage said, with a barely suppressed fury. He never liked being this angry when he had a job to do, but this was far too personal not to be. “But first, let’s finish what we started with the others.”

  “Let me, Cage.”

  “They’re my problem, Preach.”

  “I know. But let me.” With a hand on Cage’s shoulder, Preacher said, “Go to your woman. Tell her she’s free. Tell Eli he’s free. Tell him that with a clear conscience.”

  Rocco watched the exchange. “I’ll drive you, Cage. Rally and Tals will help Preacher.”

  The Heathens, including Cage’s father and Troy and the others who were going to hurt Calla, were tied up at the bottom of the hill. Five men who wouldn’t be alive come morning.

  He grabbed Preacher in a one-armed hug and let Rocco bring him to the rest of his family.

  Chapter 35

  There would be too many questions at the ER, and although I didn’t want to be at the clubhouse, I knew it was the best place to be. Because the police would come here soon, and they’d see what happened to me. They’d put two and two together, but I wouldn’t admit to anything, because no matter what I said, it would indict the man I loved.

  Holly helped me shower, got me dressed and settled me onto the couch. She gave me something to calm my nerves and wrapped me in blankets. I couldn’t stop shaking, and I knew I was in a little bit of shock, but that would wear off when I saw Cage come in, safe and sound.

  After an hour, Cage came in. He kissed me, then went to shower, as did Rocco. When he came back to me, he was dressed in clean clothes. We were all sitting there watching a movie when the police cars came to the clubhouse, with Officer Flores coming to check on me.

  I was bruised, but calm. I told her that someone dragged me into the woods and tried to assault me, but Holly scared them off. And no, neither of us knew who it was.

  Preacher and Rally and Tals came in then, all of them looking clean and fresh . . . and reeking of booze. Flores eyed them suspiciously.

  “Detective Flores,” Preacher boomed. “Nice of you to join us.”

  “I was just leaving. I suppose you have alibis.”

  “About six of them,” Preacher agreed.

  Flores rolled her eyes.

  When she left, I fell asleep in Cage’s arms. When I awoke, we were all there, in the same spot—Tals and Preacher and Rocco and Eli and Holly—collapsed on the couches, with other members of the MC watching over us from various corners of the clubhouse.

  Yes, this place could end up feeling like home after all.

  * * *

  Detective Flores came back to the clubhouse in the morning. I was sitting outside drinking coffee when she sat down next to me. I tensed, because she had to know what had happened by now.

  “Agent Jeffrey Harris is missing.”

  “Really?” I sipped my coffee. “That’s a shame.”

  “It seems like he went crazy, murdered about six men from the Heathens MC in cold blood. Word on the street was that he’d agreed to help them move their drugs, but then he’d turned on them.”

  “Sounds like there’s no harm, no foul, then.”

  “By all accounts, Jeffrey Harris was a decorated agent,” Officer Flores told me. “I haven’t been able to find evidence to the contrary.”

  I wanted to scream to tell her exactly what he’d done to me. “I’m sure he’s got friends who vouch for that.”

  “Many of them,” she agreed. “Several of whom tell a very interesting story about a time at a party when a young girl tried to get him in trouble.”

  “Really?” I shifted.

  “They wouldn’t give a name,” she continued. “But there was talk of some pictures. Like the pictures I found in your brother’s possession the night he died.”

  I stared straight ahead. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

  “Are you all right, Calla?”

  I turned to her. “I am now. So you’ll excuse me, Detective Flores, if the line between the good guys and the bad guys is pretty much goddamned blurred for me.”

  She nodded. “You know where to find me if you need anything.”

  “No offense, but I hope I never will.”

  She gave me a small smile before disappearing around the corner.

  Chapter 36

  I rested for a week before I went stir-crazy. Cage was with me the majority of the time, but today he had things to do. He didn’t specify what things, but I assumed it had to do with cementing Eli’s place with him.

  Eli’s mom was scared of retaliation. Cage made sure she was hidden until he could figure out the next steps. I knew Cage’s sister also wanted to come back to Skulls too.

  Eli and I went down to the shop next door to grab a quick soup and sandwich. Rocco was waiting outside. Eli had been dra
wing and I’d been lounging on the couch watching a movie, so I was dressed in sweats and a T-shirt. Eli wore jeans and a T-shirt, and without the leather vest, he looked younger.

  He went to grab sodas and I prepared to order. The woman behind the counter eyeballed me, saying, “You’re a new one.”

  I raised a brow but didn’t say anything beyond, “I’ll have a number two on white bread and a number four on a roll, please. And two tomato soups.”

  She rolled her eyes and put the soup into take-out containers, made the sandwiches in front of me, muttering all the while.

  “Is there a problem?” I asked.

  She shoved the wrapped sandwiches at me, then put the containers up behind it. “You’re one of theirs.”

  I didn’t say anything. Eli came up next to me and I swore I heard a mini Cage-like growl. The woman froze, stared at him.

  “Can I just pay?” I asked.

  “Fine,” she said. When I handed her a twenty, she said, “I’ve gotta grab change in the back.”

  “Are you okay?” Eli asked.

  “Fine.” And I was. I was also tired and stressed and still very worried about him and Cage and waiting for the other shoe to drop but . . .

  She stormed out of the back and punched the register keys. She handed me change and shoved the food into a bag and Eli took it for me.

  I didn’t know what she was so angry about. I was the one who should be angry, since she was talking about a revolving door with the Vipers and their women. But that was in the past . . .

  “She didn’t come back with change.”

  “What?” Eli asked.

  “She said she had to go to the back to get change. But she came back and used the register.” My last words were drowned out by the roar of motorcycles. Eli pushed me behind him and Rocco was coming toward us as a big guy got out of a van.

  He had a Heathen patch—and a gun trained on me—and with his free hand, he pointed between Eli and the van, saying, “Come with us and no one gets hurt, Eli.”