CHAPTER FOUR
I woke with a start. Trying to sit up, I quickly realized that my left wrist was tied up, in fact I was chained up. The links of the chain jingled together as I pulled them as hard as I could. It was no use.
My eyes darted around the room, and I jumped when I spotted him.
Sitting in a chair in the corner, he was hardly more than a silhouette. It was his energy that filled the room. We watched each other silently for what seemed like eternity.
Finally, he spoke, and I recognized his voice from earlier.
“Hello, ma’am.”
Ma’am? Why was he calling me that?
“Who are you? Where am I?”
I pulled on the chains again, the loud, clanking noise ringing in my ears.
He stood up and walked over to me slowly. Towering above the bed, his immense presence was intimidating, but I jutted my chin out, searching for any way I could to show him I wasn’t afraid of him. My heart pounded in my chest. I was still only wearing my black lace bra and my heels.
Dread and fear settled in the bottom of my stomach, and I began shaking uncontrollably. The huge man noticed and reached out his hand to me. He was holding my red dress.
“Here.”
“My dress…”
He gingerly placed it over my stomach, covering my nakedness. I blushed bright red when I realized I had been laying there - for how long? - with my pussy exposed to this stranger.
“Yeah, I have your purse, too. I would have dressed you, but I didn’t want to touch you without your permission.”
My brain spun with questions. Where was I? Why was I here? And who was this man? He kidnapped me but didn’t want to touch me ‘without my permission’? It seemed more than a little ironic.
“Can you put it on please?”
“What?” I was bewildered and confused.
“Your dress, ma’am. Would you please put it on?”
“My dress? What - um, yes. It’s not going to be easy to do with my arm chained.”
“Yes, I know. Put it on one arm, then I will switch your arms and you can put it on all the way.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” What the fuck was going on here? “Let me go!”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, that isn’t going to happen. Please put on your dress. You’re very…naked.” He almost growled the last word, and I felt the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Something told me to listen to him now and ask questions later.
“Fine. Turn around!”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The chain length was long enough that I could stand up, and I did so, quickly pulling the right arm of the dress on. I covered as much of my body as I could before sighing loudly.
“Okay.”
He turned around slowly, and I stood there, barely covering myself. He swallowed hard as he approached me, and pulled a key out of his pocket.
He was wearing tight, dark jeans and the patched black leather vest fit across his massive chest and shoulders like a glove. His long blonde hair curled around the top of it, flowing softly down his back, laying across the leather like feathers. I couldn’t help but inhale once he was right next to me and unlocking the silver lock. The musky smell of leather with a faint hint of whiskey drifted in the air.
The chain was tied around the metal of the bed frame and it came loose briefly. He clasped my right arm, his warm hand wrinkling the red silk of the sleeve of my dress, and wrapped the chain around it, clicking the lock back in place.
“There you go. Now you can put on the rest of your dress.” He looked physically uncomfortable as he took a step back from me.
“Right.” Quickly, I put it on and tied it together as a flash of a memory shot through my head.
“Where’s Drake?”
“Drake? That guy you were with?”
“Yes.”
The man chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he did so.
“That guy? Fuck, what a wimp. He ran down the hallway, naked as a jaybird and crying like a baby. My brother Two Dog Dave caught him, but when he pissed himself, Two Dog let him go after he promised to keep his mouth shut.”
Great. Thanks a lot, Drake.
“Why am I here?”
“Well, ma’am. I’m not sure. I’m just doing my job and my job is to keep you safe and watch over you, and make sure you don’t go anywhere.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Listen, here’s the deal. My job is to provide protection. Sometimes, that looks a little different than you might imagine. In your situation, I have a client who - for reasons known entirely by them - needs you out of the way temporarily. My job is to keep you out of the way and safe.”
“Safe.”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Who is your client?”
“I can’t tell you that, ma’am. Again, I’m sorry. It’s just business.”
“How long are you supposed to keep me?” My mind raced with trying to figure out why someone would want me out of their way. I thought of my father, but I was already far out of his way, and I had been for months. None of this made any sense at all.
“Unfortunately, that has yet to be determined.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” I pulled on the chains again, my anger beginning to rise and overwhelm whatever fear I had.
“No, ma’am. I’m not kidding. And, honestly, ma’am, the sooner you accept the fact that we are going to be spending a lot of time together, the easier it will be…on both of us.”
“I don’t give a shit what’s easy for you - let me fucking go, right now!”
“No.”
“Then let me talk to whoever your fucking client is!” My voice rose to a screech and I began to panic.
“That’s not possible, ma’am. Again, I apologize.”
Once again, I pulled on the chains angrily. It was no use, and it was hurting my wrist, so I stopped. I would have to solve this with words, because there was no chance my upper body strength would get me out of this.
I looked at my captor, drinking him in slowly. He was massive. His size was intimidating, sure, but when I gazed into his golden-green eyes, I saw nothing but gentleness there. His square jaw was set firmly, though, as if to tell me he was the boss. I had seen that look in men before, the kind of man that doesn’t like something he has to do, but he must do it for the good of the situation. I had seen that look on my father’s face.
His long blonde hair framed his gorgeous square jaw, and combined with the stubble on his face, it gave him a sense of a grungy, untamed man. His black vest and the t-shirt underneath stretched across his defined chest. His massive arms were covered in tattoos. My eyes trailed down his body, the slender waist of his taught body forming the perfect v. His jeans were tight and the fabric pulled across a large bulge. If I wasn’t so angry, I would have licked my lips in appreciation, but I wasn’t about to be distracted by this man, no matter how much he looked like a fucking Adonis standing in front of me.
“What’s your name?” I asked him angrily.
“Hawk, ma’am. My name’s Hawk.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“So where am I?”
“You are at the clubhouse. My clubhouse. Well, the clubhouse for my motorcycle club.”
“Motorcycle club?!” I had obviously noticed his vest, but I hadn’t really given it much thought. I was about to laugh at the absurdity of this, but he looked so serious.
“Yes, ma’am. The Devil’s Horsemen. I’m the president.”
“The president, huh? And if all that you need to do is keep me safe, why do I get the honor of being watched by the president? Don’t you have some minions to do that for you?”
“This is a special job.”
“I see. Hawk, does this have something to do with my father? Do you even know who my father is?” I hated saying that. I hated who my father was, but he was running for the mayor of Los Angeles, and I had two thoughts beginning to form in my head. Either I was here because of my father, or someho
w my father would be able to get me out of this.
“I do know who your father is, yes, ma’am.”
“Please stop calling me ma’am. My name is Vanessa.”
“Okay, Vanessa. You got it.”
“Okay, so you know who my father is. So, maybe there’s something my father can do for you and then you can let me go? He has a lot of money, so maybe he can pay you even more than this client of yours?”
At this point, I was assuming I was being held for ransom or something. I kept hoping Hawk would give me some clue, but he didn’t at all.
“Vanessa, I’m sorry, I can’t tell you anything. But don’t worry, you won’t get hurt and I will personally see to your safety at all times while you are in my custody.”
“Custody? You make it sound like I’m in jail.” I jangled my chains to sarcastically prove my point.
“Can’t you at least unchain me?” I asked.
“I’m sorry, that’s not possible at this time. Maybe later.”
“Later. Great. That’s just fucking great.” I plopped down on the bed, kicked off my uncomfortable high heels and folded my legs under me. Obviously, I wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so I might as well get comfortable.
Suddenly, I thought of Pearl.
“But what about Pearl? Oh, my god! You have to let me go.” I stood up again, panicked again about the fact that she was alone. “How long have I been here, anyway?”
“Just about twelve hours, that’s all. Who is Pearl?”
“Pearl is my dog, dammit! She can’t be left alone for too long. Please? You have to let me go, I can’t leave her alone. Please, I’ll do anything, I will get money from my father for you, but I can’t let anything happen to my dog. Please?” I was begging now, my voice shaking as I was afraid that he would say no.
“No way. I can’t let you go.”
“You have to!”
“Dammit,” he replied, scratching his chin. “They didn’t tell me you had a dog. Don’t you have a roommate or someone that will watch her?”
“No, I live alone! You should know these things! I have to get to my dog.”
“Look, just relax. I will figure something out. Like I said, I think you might be here for a few days at least.”
“My dog will die if I leave her alone that long.”
“Die? Really? How old is she?”
“Twelve. And she needs her kidney medicine!”
“Fuck.”
He sat down in his chair, and I sat down on the bed, trying to calm down, and hoping that he had some ounce of decency in him that he wouldn’t let my sweet Pearl starve to death.
“Alright, look. I’ll go get her. I’ll bring her to you.”
“You will?” I asked, astonished. I guess that was better than nothing, but that meant he would be in my apartment.
“Can I go with you?” I asked.
“No way. You have to stay here. I’ll have someone watch you for a short while, and I’ll bring your…Pearl, is it?…back to you. Is she dangerous? Will she attack me?”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Screw this guy. I was shaking in fear, he could have a little fear himself.
“She’s selective about who she bites and who she doesn’t. Good luck.”
“Fucking great. Are your keys in your purse?”
“Yes.”
He grabbed my purse and rummaged through it, pulling out my wallet and my keys. Opening my wallet, he pulled out my ID and whistled.
“Wow. Fancy address.”
“Yeah, whatever. Don’t forget Pearl’s medicine. It’s in a blue bottle in the kitchen. And her food. And her water bowl, she won’t drink out of any other bowls. And her treats, and her pink bed. And look for a chewed up stuffed lamb. It’s her favorite.”
“Oh, fucking christ.”
I smirked as he left the room, and I hated myself for noticing how tightly his jeans fit his perfectly muscular ass as he walked away.
CHAPTER SIX
“Genevieve, have you heard from Vanessa today?”
“No, why?”
“Fuck!” Dakota cursed into the phone. “We were supposed to meet for lunch and she isn’t here. She’s not answering her phone.”
“Oh. Well, maybe she’s still on her date from last night?”
“Maybe, but she would never just stand me up like this. I’m going to have Bobbie drop by her apartment.”
“Okay, but don’t worry. It hasn’t been that long. I just talked to her yesterday, and Charles said she made it to her date just fine last night. Maybe her phone is turned off or something.”
“Well, something is up. She isn’t the type to flake on me like this.”
“Dakota, I’m here with Veronica. We’re about to go to the spa. Call us when you hear from her.” Genevieve replied, hanging up the phone.
“What’s up?” Veronica asked when she turned to her.
“Vanessa didn’t show up for her lunch date with Dakota. She’s not answering her phone.”
“Oh,” Veronica said, “that’s not like her at all.”
“Hmm,” Genevieve looked contemplative, looking out the window as she spoke, “I guess not. I’m sure she’s fine, probably just sleeping off a late night or something. Listen, mon mimi, I’m going to make a quick phone call and then we’ll go, okay? Why don’t you pour yourself a glass of wine or something while you wait.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
Genevieve wrinkled her nose, shaking her head at Veronica.
“You know I hate it when you call me that, darling.”
“I know,” Veronica replied with a dash of sass in her voice, “that’s why I call you that!”
Genevieve laughed quietly as she walked down the hall to her bedroom.
Veronica walked into the kitchen, chose a bottle of wine from Genevieve’s extensive supply, and rummaged through the kitchen drawers looking for a corkscrew. It wasn’t in its usual spot, but since Genevieve had a new cleaning lady, Veronica figured it was put in a different place.
Veronica walked down the hallway to ask Genevieve where it was. When she reached her bedroom, the door was slightly ajar and she could hear Genevieve talking quietly.
“The dog? Merde! I forgot about it, too. Listen, just go get it as fast as you can and get the hell out, okay? I’ve got people sniffing around a lot sooner than I expected them to.”
Veronica stopped and listened at the door. She strained to hear more of the conversation, but Genevieve moved into her bathroom and closed the door.
What was Genevieve talking about? A dog? Deciding it was none of her business, she turned and walked back to the kitchen.
Five minutes later, Genevieve walked back in.
“Did you get some wine?”
“Oh…um, no I couldn’t find the corkscrew. It’s fine, though. It’s a little early for wine anyway.” There was no use in questioning Genevieve. She didn’t want her to know she had been eavesdropping and it probably wasn’t important, and certainly wasn’t any of her business.
“Dammit! I told the cleaning lady to put it back where she found it. She thinks I have my stuff in all the wrong places, but I haven’t been able to find a thing since she started.”
“No big deal. Shall we go now?”
“Yes, I am so ready for my massage!” Genevieve replied.
Veronica pushed the conversation to the back of her mind, and led Genevieve to her car, ready for a relaxing day with one of her favorite people.
CHAPTER SEVEN
I was alone in the room with two of the biggest men I had ever seen, with two black pit bulls laying at their feet. The men were huge, hairy, but apparently not very smart, and I had given up on trying to talk to them five minutes after Hawk left me alone with them.
“What are your names?” I had asked them.
“Two Dog Dave. And this is Crazy Mike.”
I opened my mouth to ask them how they got their names, but thankfully my brain figured that out pretty quickly. With one glance of their menacing frames, I
clamped my mouth shut and sat on the bed and waited silently.
I was hoping I would somehow be able to escape while he was out and be able to get back to my apartment to get to Pearl before Hawk did. Of course, I didn’t know where in the hell I was, so there was that obstacle. It was increasingly difficult to think straight, considering I was chained to a bed in a dark room with two huge men standing as a barricade in front of the only exit.
At this point, I could only hope they didn’t hurt me, and that Hawk didn’t hurt Pearl.
An hour after he left, Hawk knocked on the door and Two Dog Dave and Crazy Mike parted like the red sea to let their president in the room. The dogs jumped to their feet as a rush of white fluffy fur passed by them.
When Pearl saw me, she yapped, jumped from Hawk’s hands and ran into my arms immediately. Relief swept over me as I snuggled her close. I looked up at Hawk and saw annoyance in his eyes.
“You said she was vicious. All she did was lick my face when I went to pick her up,” he said.
“Well, then maybe you aren’t such a bad person after all. She’s a very good judge of character. Did you bring her meds?”
“Yes, I brought everything. Here.” He dumped a bag out on the bed, and all of Pearl’s favorite things fell out. “Where’s her bed?”
“Her bed? Oh fuck, I forgot that.”
“You forgot? How could you forget?”
“Look lady, taking care of you is part of my job. Making sure your princess dog is comfortable is not. You’re lucky I went to get her at all. That’s not part of the deal, but I have a soft spot in my heart for dogs, so you lucked out.”
Realizing I was indeed lucky, I conceded.
“Thank you.” I said sincerely, looking into his eyes while Pearl wiggled in my arms.
“You’re welcome.”
Her warm snuggles calmed me instantly, and my thinking began to slow down, letting me focus on exactly how I was going to get us out of this situation. I was happy to see everyone leave the room except Hawk. He closed the door and sat in the chair across from me once again.
RAW: THE ULTIMATE MC COLLECTION Page 66