April continued to hold the weeping girls hand as she led her down the corridor towards one of the bedrooms that was free to use by anyone at the club. I casually glanced behind me to see that we weren't being followed but that didn't stop my heart lurching, feeling like it was trying to find a way to escape my chest as my adrenaline pumped.
April opened the door and dragged the young girl inside, I glanced down the corridor one last time in the direction of the bar before entering the room and closing the door firmly behind me.
"What the fuck!" I ran my fingers through my short hair and paced back and forth trying to work out what I needed to do.
April walked over to me and placed her hands on my upper arms trying to calm me down, "Come on Saviour, you need to keep it together and work something out. What are we going to do with her?" she asked pointing in the direction of the girl who was now standing in the corner of the room looking between us as she listened to our conversation.
The girl was petrified and rightly so as she didn't look much older than fourteen.
"We need to get you out of these clothes." April said walking over to the young girl aggressively tugging on her jumper.
The girl held firm trying to hold the material tightly in place so that April couldn't lift it any further.
"What are you doing April?" I asked unsure as to why she was making the young girl even more distressed.
April continued to wrestle with the girl, "If one of the guys come in here and she aint at least down to her underwear, they'll start asking questions."
She was right, that's why I loved the fact that I had an ally in April. She didn't know what I'd planned for the club but she knew that I was different and had my own agenda. April knew her role within the club well, her insight had helped me out on more than one occasion and I was grateful of our friendship although unconventional.
"Look, we're not going to hurt you babe but we need you down to your underwear. You can either fight me on this or be a good girl and do as you're told to thank me for saving your arse out there earlier."
She peeped through her hair that was hanging in front of her face and her large brown eyes quickly flickered from April to myself and back again.
"Okay but please let me do it." The young girl said quietly as she swatted April's hands away and slowly reached down to the hem of her jumper to pull it up and over her head.
April stepped back giving her the room needed to remove her clothes and briefly glanced in my direction with a tight smile at the whole situation.
We didn't want this young girl to strip but we needed her to, should one of the guys choose to come into the room.
The young girl held her clothes tightly to her chest and I could see her physically shake as she looked at the floor. I briefly glanced at her body and could see by her shape that she was barely a teenager. What the fuck were the club playing at? She was just a fucking child!
"Thank you, now sit on the there." April took the young girl by the hand and walked her over to the bed, making sure that she quickly pulled the sheet up encouraging the girl to get in. She placed her clothes on the floor beside the bed and shimmied on to the mattress and snatched the cover from April to cover her body.
I sat on the bed making sure I wasn't too close as I didn't want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was. "What's your name?" I asked hoping that the girl would now feel a little more comfortable in our presence.
She glanced between April and myself and pulled the cover tightly so that it was under her chin.
"Chay, my name's Chay."
I nodded my head still trying to think of what I was going to do with her, if I knew a little more about Chay maybe I could possibly take her home. "How did you end up here?"
Chay remained still but her eyes moved so that she wasn't making eye contact, "All of us are from the same children's home. The man with the glasses promised us a job and our own apartments."
Fucking hell, I'd been with them a year but even I didn't realise that they were into children. This was wrong, when I was done here today the club needed to be reported in order to protect these girls. I didn't want my cover blown but I wasn't about to sit back and watch children be abused.
"Okay babe, sit tight and let me speak to April." I stood and made my way towards the window. April followed and I could see that she was mulling over what Chay had just said.
"She's young, I didn't realise they were into children!" I stated feeling the anger building inside me. I was annoyed that over the past year April hadn't mentioned anything to me. We'd had plenty of time for pillow talk over the last year but not once had she hinted that they were trading young girls.
"Don't look at me like that Saviour, I know what you're thinking and it's not like that!"
"No, well tell me what it's like then April, because from where I'm standing I see the club rounding up young vulnerable girls and raping them, possibly turning them into strippers or prostitutes."
April let out a long sigh and placed her hands on her hips. "Yes, they take in young girls but they're usually runaways. They're not put into the club but usually become house mouse's." April glanced around at Chay who was watching us intently probably trying to work out what we intended to do with her. "Onyx was looking for a house mouse to help Trix run the home and look after the kids. She's been getting on his case lately and he wanted to shut her up."
"You seem to know quite a bit about Onyx's plans." I raised my brow slightly trying to encourage her to talk further.
She scoffed, "Saviour, I'm a fucking club whore. I lie on my back and do what I have to do then listen to the shit that they want to share. I know so many secrets, I'm surprised they haven't done me in already."
"She's only a baby twelve possibly thirteen, if she stays you're gonna need to look after her."
April raised her brows, "Why are you so concerned about a girl you've just met?"
"Because I have a fucking heart."
Over the next hour we spoke to Chay, she gave us some insight into how they were groomed into coming away with Slick. They'd all been promised a job, which was a good prospect for these girls as they weren't going to school and therefore wouldn't gain any qualifications. They were all told to pack a few belongings and meet him at the entrance of the park, this would make it look like they had all planned to run away together. They were all teenage girls that had ran away in the past so the police wouldn't worry too much, thinking that they'd eventually turn up.
My brain felt like it was on overload, I needed some fresh air. This really wasn't my scene and I most certainly was going to rectify the situation, this couldn't possibly go on. I left the room and stalked through the building needing to get out of the putrid smelling room as I felt like I was suffocating. The rest of the group were nowhere to be seen and I only hoped that the guys had a change of heart and had let them go. I scoffed, who the fuck was I kidding, they were fucking animals.
As I exited the clubhouse I made my way over to my motorcycle and sat down, breathing heavily trying to figure out what to do.
"Don't do it!"
I swung my head around to see who was talking and saw Sketch making his way across the yard towards me. I looked at him confused, "Don't do what?"
"I saw your disgusted face in the clubhouse earlier. I haven't worked you out yet but I know you're not like the other guys." I was still none the wiser and he must've seen my confused expression. "If you call the police, they'll know it was you that grassed." He let out a loud sigh and moved closer, "I don't know what your motives are but I'm really hoping you're not an informant."
My eyes widened, "Is that what you think?"
"I don't know what to think yet!"
"I can assure you I'm not an informant or police," I said defensively.
"Well whoever you are, you need to be careful because they'll find your weakness, and they'll play on it. It's what they do!"
Chapter 4
Saviour
Five years earlier
>
April took a drag on her cigarette, "So how long are we going to keep this pretence Saviour?" she asked before blowing out the smoke towards the ceiling.
The party was in full swing at the clubhouse so I'd asked April to accompany me to one of the bedrooms again, this had turned into a regular occurrence during the festivities as I wanted to keep her out of harm's way when possible. She wasn't mine to protect in fact no one had laid claim to her but Polar was drinking heavily tonight and he'd always take it out on her, if anything just to try and degrade her in front of the other party goers.
I sniggered, that's what I liked about April she was able to make light of any situation. We'd been coming in here on and off for the past two years. When I'd initially asked her, she was a little taken aback but it had just become the norm these days.
"As long as I need you to or until Polar claims you." It came out harsher than I intended.
April stubbed out her fag in the ashtray and rolled over to slap me on the arm, "Stop being such a bitch."
"Oh it's like that is it?" I grabbed her arms and rolled on top of her. "I didn't mean it like that," I said sincerely. April pursed her lips and I saw the hurt on her face although she did her best to hide it. "We can stop at any time but I thought you were okay about our arrangement?" I looked at her confused by her sudden change in demeanour.
"Well I know which one will happen sooner," April stated glumly.
"I wouldn't be so sure, do you think he's gonna allow me to keep taking you away from him?" April narrowed her eyes trying to decipher what I'd just said as I grinned from her reaction. "He likes you babe but he's just being a prick. He'll only let this go on for so long before he thinks that I'll claim you and then he'll strike." I saw a brief smile on her face before she tried to hide her excitement.
The door swung open and crashed against the wall. I squinted as the light streamed through the doorway into the bedroom as I tried to work out who had interrupted us.
"Get the fuck off her!" Polar stated coldly as he swaggered into the room.
I turned my attention back to April and gave her a smile, "Are you going to be okay?"
"Of course she's going to be okay, she can have a real man now."
I ignored his comment and looked at April intently, if she wanted me to stay or take her from the room then I would to make sure she was safe but I knew deep down she wouldn't. April nodded her head and I leaned down to give her a small kiss on the tip of her nose.
As I crawled from the bed my clothes flew through the air as Polar chucked them into the corridor. I rolled my eyes at his immaturity and strolled naked into the corridor to retrieve them from the floor as the door slammed behind me.
"You been kicked out?" I glanced in the direction of the voice to see Hustler with his arm wrapped firmly around a young girls shoulder.
I stepped into my boxers and smiled as the young girl licked her lips at the approval of my length. "Yeah, she's wet and ready for him with my come." I sniggered as I continued to get dressed.
Hustler shook his head, "How he hasn't kicked your arse yet is beyond me."
"I'd like to see him try."
"Now that would be interesting." Hustler nodded his head in my direction before he dragged the young girl into the nearest room.
I glanced at my watch. I was still doing okay for time but I'd needed to leave within the next hour to be able to get to the Aces' clubhouse in time for them to leave for Kent. They didn't know that I was coming, I hadn't answered their calls recently as I'd been too busy here but I owed it to them to be there for such a lucrative drugs run.
I had started to leave my other mobile at home after being caught with it one evening. I'd spent the evening with the guys at the clubhouse and by mistake I'd left my phone in my jacket. I placed it on the back of the chair while I went to the bathroom which wasn't my finest moment that's for sure. When I returned Onyx was holding my phone and asked why I had five missed calls from someone called Hound. I had quickly explained that she was some bird I shagged occasionally when I went home and had called her Hound because she loved it from behind. I made light of the situation by taking the piss, explaining that it was also fitting as she hounded me to return home. The guys seemed to buy it but from that day I wasn't taking any more chances and left the phone at home.
I stalked up the corridor and into the bar looking for Onyx. I needed to remind him that I was leaving within the hour for an appointment with my aunt's nurse. I'd been straight with him giving him two weeks' notice of my plans and that I'd be away for a night.
I spotted him sitting in the corner of the room with a scantily clad woman on his lap, and made my way over towards him shaking my head in disbelief that I still hadn't found a way to end it.
Onyx nodded and stood so the young girl had to move. "I was wondering where you were, come and have a quick drink with me I need to ask you a favour." Onyx patted me on the back before holding my shoulder firmly, directing me towards the bar. "Something's just come up, there's an urgent run that I need you to attend."
"You know that I have a meeting with my aunt's nurse this evening."
"I do and I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate."
I rubbed my forehead caught in a quandary, what the fuck was I going to do? If I didn't turn up for the drugs run, Viper and the guys would go nuts and if I left now that Onyx had expressed how much he needed me, I may ruin any chance of infiltrating the group further and gaining their trust. I wanted to be part of the inner circle if possible and knew that this was my chance but I still had a nagging feeling inside that I was letting the guys down back home.
I let out a heavy sigh and slowly nodded, "Okay I'll do it." I said quietly.
"Excellent! Priest will go with you as you two are the only sober pussies here." I stood and glanced around the room as Priest made his way through the crowd in our direction. "I also want you to leave your phone." I looked at him confused, "Have you got a problem with that?"
"Well yeah, say something goes tits up on the journey over?"
"Don't worry it won't." Onyx stood almost dismissing me and winked at Priest before he sauntered through the crowd.
I removed my mobile from my pocket and slid it across the bar to John, "Look after it."
"Come on, let's get going before it gets too late." Priest dug around in his pocket as he walked towards the door. What the fuck had I gotten myself into? If something were to kick off I'd have no way of making contact with anyone and letting them know of my whereabouts.
I followed Priest through unfamiliar territory. I'd been living here for a few years now and when I wasn't working for the club and travelling between here and Essex, I had taken it upon myself to try and know the surrounding areas and the local gangs within it. There was no harm in being prepared but unfortunately Birmingham was huge and there was no way I could familiarise myself with everywhere. We travelled through the countryside along sweeping bends and it came apparent that Priest was familiar as he raced on ahead leaving me to take things a little more cautiously.
Thoughts of the drugs run invaded my head as I participated in what was fast becoming nothing more than a joyride. Before long Priest double backed and my suspicions became apparent as we made our way back to the clubhouse.
As I parked I ripped my helmet off and stomped quickly across the gravel towards Priest, taking a fist load of his cut as I lunged at him. "What the fuck was that all about?"
Priest held out his hands not instigating anything, "I was only following orders."
"Orders! Orders from who?" I grabbed some more of his cut so that it tightened around his neck.
"Me!"
I let go of Priest and swirled around as Onyx walked across the car park glaring at me. My heart pumped as the adrenaline rushed around my body and if he wanted a fight he could fucking have one the way I was feeling tonight.
"What fucking games you playing?" I asked knowing that I'd been set up.
A small crowd had formed outside the clubhouse and I
could feel them closing in, circling around us. "Now don't do anything stupid Saviour." Onyx stated glancing at my clenched fists.
Fuck! Had they realised who I was? I studied the group and could quickly see that there weren't any scowls on their faces but amusement at the scene playing out in front of them, like they were in on a joke.
"Does someone want to tell me what the fuck is going on as I'm, about to have a fucking shit attack!"
The crowd laughed and Onyx stepped closer to rest his hand on my shoulder. "Stop being so suspicious all of the time, that's Polar's job." Onyx stated sarcastically so that only I could hear. "I needed to know where your priorities lie. You run off every so often and we don't hear from you for days. Then you turn up like nothing's happened, we've been concerned about you."
"But you know that my aunt..."
"Yeah I know all that shit!" Onyx waved his hand around dismissing my comment. "We can all make up a fake aunt and use it as an excuse." I raised my brows, "Alright calm down, fucking hell you're touchy about family." Onyx moved so that he was facing the crowd and wrapped his arm around my shoulders firmly.
"You've proved yourself since you've been here and your skills are invaluable to a club like ours. We took a vote while you were out on a joyride." The group sniggered at my expense and I rolled my eyes trying to take this all in good humour although I was furious inside. "We'd like you to take a seat within the inner circle." The crowd applauded and cheered but I shook my head confused by what I'd just heard. Here I was secretly trying to take out club members and I was being rewarded for my services to the club, you couldn't make this shit up.
"Now try to look a little more excited Saviour, I'm a little concerned that you may not want such a prestigious role."
The crowd quietened down a little and all eyes turned to me.
"It's not that I don't want it, I'm just a little shocked that's all." I stated trying to buy myself time as I took in the information.
"Well then, welcome." Onyx shook my hand and pulled me close to give me a manly hug.
I could smell the cigar on his breath as he patted my back which gave me unwanted memories. The hatred was rampant but I grit my teeth taking deep breaths to keep it under control, I'd love to take a blade and gut him like a fucking pig in front of everyone but I wouldn't stay alive long enough to get to Polar and Priest.
Locke (Aces MC Series Book 4) Page 4