THE OUTLAW’S BRIDE

by April Lust

  There was a wicked, dark laugh from the other end of the line and I immediately knew it was him. Damien. The evil one, the one who’d tried to steal my family. Well, he wasn’t going to have the last laugh. I’d beat him yet.

  “Find them?” Damien’s voice was dark and smoky, full of humor I didn’t see.

  “Where the fuck are they?” My own voice was a growl. It permeated the airspace like that of a caged animal.

  “Oh, I’ve got them someplace safe and tight for now,” Damien said.

  He laughed and I felt a new bolt of rage course through my body. It was enough to make the anger I’d felt for Wolf look like child’s play. “Where the fuck are they, Damien?”

  “Oh, so you figured out it was me,” Damien said with a chuckle. “I tell you, I’ve always wanted to put my hands on that little cunt of yours. What a foxy woman, Trey. I have to give you credit. Those tits! I wanted her back then and I sure as fuck still want her now.”

  “Leave her alone,” I hissed through gritted teeth. “She’s not yours. She never will be. Angel belongs to me, and she always will.”

  “Well, that’s just the thing,” Damien purred. He’d slowed his voice to a liquid drawl. “If you know where to look, you might be able to find that sweet little cunt pretty soon. The thing is, Trey, I’m gonna need your word on a few things first. You got that straight?”

  I nodded even though Damien wasn’t able to see me. “I understand,” I said through gritted teeth. “Whatever the fuck you want me to do, I’ll do it.”

  “I know you will,” Damien purred in reply. “I’m gonna need your resignation as president of the Skullbreakers before twenty-four hours have passed. You got that, asshole? No longer are you gonna lead that MC. You’re gonna be a broke asshole like the rest of us, fighting for your cut in the world. You’re gonna have to struggle, just like I struggled for all of those years.”

  I gritted my teeth. “Fine,” I snapped. “I’m out. I’ll call the guys as soon as I’m off the phone with you. I’m done. I’m out. I won’t ever see your face again, Damien. You got it.” I couldn’t believe he was letting me off so lightly! It felt like I was being given a light sentence.

  “Good, good,” Damien purred. “I’m so glad you’re starting to see things from my point of view, Trey. It’s always better when we can work together.”

  I snorted in disgust. I couldn’t believe that, years ago, I’d actually been friends with this cretin. I’d even felt bad for him so many times. I’d pitied him and wanted to help him come up in the world because I felt so sorry. He’d come from the same wrong side of the tracks I’d come from, but, unlike me, he was obviously still nursing a grudge that I’d succeeded where he’d failed.

  “Oh, and, Trey?”

  “What?” My words cut through the air like a dagger. “What else, Damien?”

  Damien laughed, a high-pitched sound that made me think of a farm animal. “There’s one more little thing,” he said in a jokey tone. “One more, tiny little thing. I don’t think you’ll mind, Trey. I don’t think you’ll mind at all.”

  My heart thudded in my chest. “What is it, Damien?”

  “Just one more teeny little favor,” Damien wheedled. I could sense he was grinning even through the phone. “You promise me you can help me out with that?”

  “I’ll try,” I said through gritted teeth. “But since you haven’t told me what’s going on, I don’t know.”

  “Oh, Trey,” Damien said. I could tell he was pouting. “You need to help me out with a little cash. You know things have been real hard on me lately. Don’t you wanna help me out?”

  “How much do you need?” I asked shortly. “You’d better fuckin’ deliver her to me in one piece, and the boy, too.”

  Damien laughed. “You gettin’ ahead of yourself. You didn’t even ask when I needed it by.”

  I growled. “Cut the shit, Damien. Just fucking tell me, okay?”

  Damien chuckled again, a low, sinister sound. “I’m gonna need somewhere in the ballpark of five million. You think you can help me out with that, boy?”

  I gulped. Five million? I had no fucking idea where that money was going to come from. All of the Skullbreakers had a decent stash built up but even borrowing from the guys, I had no idea where I was going to come up with that money on such short notice.

  “Got it,” I said smoothly. “Five million.”

  “And I’m gonna need that within twenty-four hours,” Damien said smugly. “So I really hope you’re gonna be able to provide that shit for me. You got it?”

  I paled. I had no idea where the money would come from, especially on such a short notice. But letting him know it was impossible was like handing Angel and Chuckie a death sentence. I wouldn’t be able to do that. Somehow, I’d have to lie and bluff my way through this one.

  “Fine,” I snapped. “Within twenty-four hours. I got it, Damien.”

  There was a silence and I heard Damien suck in a big gust of air. “Good, good,” he said mildly. “You got any questions, Trey? Or is that everything?”

  “That’s everything,” I snapped. “Now where is she?”

  “Ah, ah, ah,” Damien said. “Now isn’t a good time to be hasty, Trey. All in time. You’ll see.”

  “Promise me you’ll let them go,” I hissed. “Promise me and the money is yours. I’ll step down from Skullbreakers, and I’ll never see any of my guys again.”

  Damien chuckled. “They’ll be fine,” he said. Before I could answer, he hung up.

  Fuck. What the fuck was I going to do now?

  Chapter 22

  Angel

  Chuckie was whimpering beside me and I wished, more than anything, I could reach out and stroke his soft hair. I knew he must be terrified out of his wits. Hell, I was terrified out of my wits and I was the adult! I was so worried about what was going to happen. Where were they taking us? I tried to ask, forgetting I was gagged, and it came out as a wet gurgle.

  From the front of the car, I felt a gust of air and something hard slapped me on the cheek. A hand. One of the men had actually slapped me! I felt tears well up in my eyes and leak down my cheeks. The duct tape was loosening but I could feel it clogging all of the pores on my face and I knew it would hurt like hell when it was ripped off. I only hoped they hadn’t managed to get too much of my hair caught in the tape.

  Stupid Angel. You’ve been kidnapped and all you can fucking think about is your hair! You deserved this!

  “We’re almost there,” said one of the gruff voices from the front of the car. “What do we do with them?”

  “I don’t know,” the other voice replied. There was a chuckling sound and I could tell the men were having the time of their lives. “I wanna fuck around with her first. Did you see the tits on her? Goddamn would I like to suck those!”

  A chill of fear wormed its way down my spine and I hated that Chuckie was having to listen to this. His labored breathing sounded like he was on the verge of an asthma attack and I felt my body convulsing at the thought of one of those beastly men touching me. The car lurched to the side and I bounced off of the bench seat in the back. As my body hit the hard floorboard of the car, I cried out and choked against my gag. I hadn’t figured out what they’d stuffed in my mouth but it tasted foul. I shuddered as more tears found their way down my cheeks.

  “Honey, hold on,” one of the guys said. I felt a hand patting me on the side and I shuddered and twisted as the hand found its way to my breast, pinching and tweaking my nipples through the thin material of my shirt. It hurt like hell and I screamed against my gag, twisting and desperately wishing I could shove the guy off.

  “She’s a fighter,” the other guy said. I heard a guffawing laugh from the front of the car. “You hear that, honey? You’re real feisty!”

  The men started to growl and yip like dogs as a fresh wave of terror crested through my body. I cried out but the gag muffled the sound. I felt the car come to an abrupt stop and then heard the sound of the doors slamming. Panic rose through
me. Were they just going to forget about me and Chuckie? Were they going to leave us here to starve and rot? I twisted against my bonds, desperately trying to free my hands. They were bound so tightly that the circulation was cut off and my fingers were numb and tingling. I tried to make a fist and shake my hands around to wake them up but nothing did the trick — I was simply bound too tightly.

  I felt strong hands wrapping around my waist and lifting me high in the air. I kicked my legs, trying to connect with flesh and bone, but only managed to slice through the air.

  “Fuck!” I heard one of the guys mutter. “This one’s a fuckin’ fighter!”

  “She’ll get what’s coming to her,” the other guy replied darkly, and I felt a ripple of fear go through my whole body. “Don’t worry, she’ll get it.”

  Another pair of hands grabbed me under the armpits, painfully hauling me to a standing position. I felt for the ground with my feet; it was surreal to be walking again after what had felt like hours in the car. But in reality, I had no way of knowing how much time had passed. I had no idea what was going to happen now.

  I tried to call Chuckie’s name, again forgetting I was gagged. A stream of spittle gushed out of my mouth and dripped down my chin. The men laughed loudly.

  “Fuckin’ bitch!” one of them said. “Damn, this one is a lot of trouble!”

  “Randy and Nick weren’t fucking around,” the other replied. “She’s gonna be in some motherfuckin’ trouble when we tear the blindfold off.”

  My belly was twisted in knots of panic. I’d never been this scared in my life. I wanted to tune the men out, but something told me it was important to listen. They’d mentioned Randy and Nick. It seemed like ages since I’d heard either of those names, but now I knew better. They were all connected somehow. All of the guys were in it together, and they were all out to get me.

  One of the guys pushed me forward. “Watch out for the stairs,” he said in a mild tone.

  When I tried to step forward gently, he shoved me again and I fell, tumbling, helpless to stop the fall since my hands were bound behind my back. Every time I hit the stairs, I tensed and braced myself for the inevitable crash at the bottom. When I finally hit, my head was filled with so much pain I thought I was going to black out. It hurt so much that I gasped and choked on the gag. Please don’t let them throw Chuckie down the stairs, I prayed. Please don’t hurt him.

  “That’s for trying to twist away from me, bitch,” one of the guys said. He laughed cruelly. “Come on, kid, take it a step at a time.” I was relieved to hear them helping Chuckie down the stairs.

  There was a blinding pain in my head so sharp that I felt like my eyes were going to rip out of their sockets. When I blinked, I saw that they’d pulled the duct tape off my face. One of them was holding the strip in his hand and laughing. Sure enough, there was a clump of red hair attached to the side. Part of my head felt cool in the air and I realized I was going to have a bald spot.

  “You’re still pretty, don’t worry,” the burlier of the two guys said. “Now, you promise not to bite me?”

  I nodded. He reached forward with grease-stained fingers and shoved them in my mouth. I tried not to gag as he pulled a wet clump of fabric from between my teeth. Empty, my mouth felt strange. I blinked, unused to the sensation. The guy grabbed me and flipped me over on my stomach. I felt his fingers picking at the ropes that bound my wrists together. When the blood rushed back into my hands, it was almost painful. I sighed loudly. Every muscle, every bone in my body was aching and I couldn’t think of what to do. I was still in panic mode.

  “We’re leaving now,” one of the guys said. “We’ll be back. And don’t try anything.”

  I watched mutely as they hefted their large bodies up the stairs and slammed the door behind them. The room was dark, but I could see Chuckie curled up in a small ball to the right of my lap. With trembling fingers, I pulled the gag out of his mouth.

  Chuckie whimpered. “Mommy, help!” he cried loudly.

  “Shhh, be quiet for a moment. This is going to sting,” I warned as my fingers slipped under the edge of the duct tape and yanked hard.

  He made a whimpering sound as I ripped the tape away from his eyes. His face was red and blotchy and stained with glue. He looked awful, but at least he was in one piece. “Mommy, I’m scared,” Chuckie said solemnly. “I don’t know what to do.”

  I pulled him close and buried my face in his hair. He smelled like little boy’s sweat and fresh-cut grass. “It’ll be okay, baby,” I told him. “I promise it’ll be okay.”

  Chuckie burrowed into me. We were huddled on the floor at the foot of the stairs. When I looked around, I felt more dismal than ever about our surroundings. We were alone in what looked like a dingy basement. The only furniture was a splintered chair that had broken apart years before I was even born. There was also a bowl on the floor. Chuckie stood up and approached the bowl cautiously.

  “Mommy, bread!” He held up some pieces of sliced bread.

  I shuddered. From my perch on the floor, they looked dirty. “I wouldn’t eat those, honey,” I told him. At least not right now. Wait until we’re really hungry. God knows how long we’re going to be here.

  Chuckie looked around. Suddenly, he burst into tears. Loud wails filled the basement and I beckoned him close to me.

  “Chuckie, shhhh. It’ll be okay,” I told him as I stroked his hair and pulled him onto my lap. “I promise it’ll be okay. You just need to be brave for a little while longer, okay?”

  He sniffled and snuffled in my arms, but the sobs didn’t stop. I sighed as I stroked his hair and rocked him against my chest. It had been ages since I’d seen him this upset, and I would have done anything to bring him comfort. “Chuckie, you know your father is going to come for us,” I said softly into one ear. “Everything’s going to be just fine, okay?”

  Chuckie gurgled. He wiped his eyes and looked into my face. “My father?” He was clearly confused. “Who is he?”

  I let out a long sigh. “Trey is your father,” I said slowly.

  Chuckie blinked. “I thought you said he was just a friend, not my daddy.” He looked up at me with confusion and surprise on his small features. “Is he really my daddy?”

  I felt shame rise up in my throat. Between that and my pounding head, I felt like I could have slept for days and days. “I lied,” I admitted. “And I’m really sorry I lied. I never should have been dishonest with you, Chuckie. You deserve better than that.”

  Chuckie blinked as if to say that he forgave me. “I’m sorry,” he said, almost inaudibly. “I’m still scared.”

  My heart broke as I pulled him close to me and buried his face in my chest. “Chuckie, it’s okay,” I said, stroking his back. “Everything’s going to be just fine. I promise. Daddy will come for both of us.”

  After Chuckie had rocked in my arms and sobbed for half an hour, he slowly started to calm down. I felt his breathing grow more regular and slow. When I looked down, I realized he’d fallen asleep.

  I didn’t want to disturb him, but we had to check for a way out. The only way was through the door, and I could tell the men had locked it behind them. From behind the door, I heard pacing and instinctively realized that the basement was guarded. Fuck!

  There was no other way out that I could see. We were alone, trapped, in the basement of some strange house. I realized I’d been panicking so much in the car that I hadn’t even paid attention to how much time had gone past. When we’d left Trey’s, it had been a little after four. Now it was already dark outside, and I wasn’t wearing a watch. Shit. What were we going to do now?

  I closed my eyes and thought of Trey. Trey, please, wherever you are, come rescue us, I prayed. Please. I’m sorry. Please come help us!

  But there was nothing, and I was left alone with my thoughts and my sleeping son in the darkness.

  Chapter 23

  Trey

  That night, a full moon shone high above Centerville. I felt a slight touch of spookiness chilling m
y bones, and no matter how many deep breaths I took I still didn’t feel like I was getting enough air. Resign from the Skullbreakers. Step down. Pony up five million. Then Angel and Chuckie are yours. I didn’t have a choice when it came to trusting Damien; I had to. It didn’t matter that he was probably lying, that he and his thugs had probably already roughed Angel up more than they should have. But I had no way of helping her right now. I was totally helpless. I hated it — I’d never felt this pathetic in my life. Not even when Angel left me all those years before. At least then I was forming friendships with the guys who made up my MC. But now I was going to have to give that up, too.

  I had to call all of the guys and tell them I wanted to talk. Judging from Ram’s tone, I guessed that everyone thought it would be about Wolf. Wolf as a cautionary tale, Wolf as something we shouldn’t ever do because we would wind up dead. Ironically, stepping down meant I wouldn’t be able to take vengeance on Wolf for betraying my family. He was going to come out of the hospital and probably be just fine. I wondered if the new leader of the Skullbreakers would even make him patch out. Hell, after I made my announcement, I was betting they’d all be so angry with me that Wolf would become their new folk hero. I rolled my eyes. Fuckin’ pussy ass biker, and now he was going to get away with the most egregious sin of all time. When you patched into the Angels, you patched in for life. That meant protecting your brothers and their families. Wolf had betrayed me in the absolute worst way, and it killed me that I wouldn’t get to punish him. But Angel and Chuckie were more important, and they were my life now. I had to get past the “eye for an eye” mentality if I was going to be a good family man.