Broken

by Alexis Noelle

  “What happened?” m brother asks.

  “I went out to grab something to drink—” My voice is starting to slur.

  “You went out alone?” He interrupts me.

  “Yea, no one was at the gate.” I shrug.

  Twisted turns to Whip. “Find me whoever was supposed to be guarding that shit.” He turns back to me. “What happened next?”

  Lie. “Some asshole teenagers on bikes almost ran me over. I dropped the bottles and cut my hand on the ground when I fell.”

  He studies me, and I can’t read if he believes me or not.

  I tell everyone I’m tired and need to head to bed.

  I just need to be alone.

  I need to hide.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Izzy

  Today is the day.

  After yesterday I need help. I need to talk to someone about what is going on. By telling them I risk having them turn their backs on me. If I don’t tell them, I know Hades will follow through on his threat.

  I need Max to hear my story because I need him through this. I need his support to feel like I can make it through this.

  I want Lucy to hear my story. I want to be honest with her and I want her support for when I tell everyone else.

  I texted them asking them to come up here to meet me. I know that this probably isn’t the best place. But is there really any good place to let someone know that you’ve been lying since you got here? I spend the next hour practicing my speech in my head. Preparing whatever answers to their anticipated questions. When my door opens and Lucy walks in my nerves skyrocket.

  “Hey, what’s up with all the hush hush talk?” She smiles.

  I asked her in the text not to tell anyone that we were upstairs talking. I don’t want people becoming suspicious.

  “Um, I just need to talk to you, but we need to wait for Max to get here.”

  Her eyebrows furrow in confusion. “Max is coming?”

  I nod.

  The door opens before I have to elaborate anymore.

  Max walks in. When he sees Lucy I can tell he’s confused.

  “Can you guys sit down, please?”

  They both give me looks of confusion before having a seat in the two chairs I have in the room.

  “Okay. I have to tell you something. The thing is that I need you to hear the whole story or you’ll never understand it. About halfway through you’re going to hate me. You’ll want to leave this room and get as far away from me as you can. I’m begging you not to. Please listen to everything.”

  They both nod slowly.

  “My memory came back.”

  Max jumps up. “Really? That’s—”

  “I need you to sit down. Please, you guys have to let me get through this before you say or do anything.”

  He sits back down and his eyes focus on me.

  “I grew up getting passed from home to home. Each was worse than the previous one. Once I turned sixteen I couldn’t take it anymore. I ran away. I was homeless. I had no money and had taken the money offered to me by a pimp. I didn’t know who he was or what he did when I took it. He had given it to me one night when I was sitting outside a diner trying to get some money to eat. One day he told me that I had to pay him back when before he had just offered it to me so I could eat for a couple weeks. I only took money from him once and I didn’t see him again for almost a month. I was in deep shit. I had absolutely no money. That’s when I met Hades. He intervened one day when the pimp was threatening me.” I remember how I thought he was my savior. Then I remember the moment when I realized that he was everything but that.

  “Hades is President of the Devil’s Sons MC. He offered to let me become one of their girls. The way he explained it seemed so glamorous. I’d be wanted by every man around. I’d have my own room. They would make sure I never spent another night hungry again. I agreed to be theirs and the next day I got to the clubhouse.” I turn away from them. I can’t face them as I recount all of this.

  “It was terrible. The way they treat the women there. It’s nothing like it is here. After only a day there I wanted to leave but was too afraid to try. Hades developed a special interest in me. I was his guinea pig. I swear I find a new scar every day from my time with him.” I pause, trying to push the memories away now. “Apparently they do a search on their girls to make sure that they aren’t connected to the cops or anything like that. I guess by doing that they tracked down my birth parents. They had recognized one of my sibling’s names and realized that it was Twisted. I guess they thought they hit the jackpot.” I stop, trying to suck in the tears that are about to fall.

  “Hades told me that I was chosen to be their mole. That I had to come here and find out information they could use. He wanted to know how to destroy the club and needed someone to get him inside information. They told me if I was successful that I’d become an old lady. At the time it was all I wanted mainly because the old ladies were treated with respect. I thought I’d be safe. If I failed they said they would kill me. The night when you all found me, they planted me there. I was told which way to walk so that I would run into the clubhouse. They started to beat me so I would seem like I needed help. The problem was they were having too much fun doing it that they went overboard. That’s what caused me to lose my memory.” I turn around and their faces hold so many emotions that I can’t read them.

  “I have grown to love everyone here. I would never do anything to hurt you all, or cause you harm. You all took me in and cared for me like I was one of your own. I have never had anyone do that for me before. The reason I remembered all this was that Hades found me when we were at that restaurant. He attacked me in the bathroom and the memories just started flooding back. My time is up with them. They want me to tell them the club’s weaknesses or I’m dead. I would never do that. I can’t. I don’t know what to do.” Tears start to glide down my cheeks.

  “If everyone hates me for who I am I’ll understand that. I hate myself. I can’t even bare to look into the mirror at the person staring back at me. She is someone I don’t know, that I don’t want to know. I want to fix all of this, but I don’t know that I can. I am telling both of you now because you mean so much to me.” I drop my hands, defeated and drained from recalling my past.

  Lucy jumps up. She rushes over to me, her arms wrapping around my neck. “I don’t hate you. I can understand where you were coming from. We have to tell Twisted. He can help you.”

  “I’ll tell him. I promise. Will you be there when I do? I know that he and the boys aren’t going to take this well and honestly I’m scared.” My teeth gnaw at my lip.

  “Of course I will.” Lucy looks past me over at Max, who still hasn’t moved. “I’m going to leave you two alone.” She walks out, closing the door softly behind her.

  “So all this time.” Max stands up. “You being sick, that wasn’t real? How distant you’ve been is because of this?”

  I nod.

  “Why didn’t you tell me that day?”

  “I was scared. I didn’t know what to do. I was ashamed of the person that I chose to be. I thought you would hate me and honestly I couldn’t take that.” I look at the floor. I knew he’d be disappointed in me. “I was desperate. If I had said no, they wouldn’t have thought twice about killing me. They almost did anyway.”

  Max’s hand strokes my cheek. “Hey, I don’t hate you. I get that you were backed into a corner. I also know that you aren’t here to betray us.” His lips press against mine and relief washes through my body. “You have to tell your brother. There isn’t much I can do. You need to go to him and be honest.”

  I shake my head, tears still streaming down. “He’ll hate me. I’m a traitor. A rat. A snitch. A—”

  “You’re his blood. You were backed into a corner. You didn’t have another choice. He’ll get that. The sooner the better.” Max’s eyes plead with me to listen to him.

  “Okay, I’ll tell him tomorrow. Will you take me to your place tonight? I want one more night wi
th you before everything goes to shit.” My fingers dig into his skin. I’m clutching onto him like he is my last hope, and in some ways, I feel like he is.

  “Of course.”

  I smile at him.

  “Fuck, I missed seeing you do that.” He kisses me.

  “Do what?” I mumble against his lips.

  “Smile. You’ve been gone. I couldn’t figure out why and it was driving me fucking crazy.” He pulls me harder against him. “You aren’t alone anymore, Izzy. You have a family. You have people who want to stand beside you. You’re loved.”

  I feel what he’s saying.

  Each of his words ripple through me, washing away the uncertainty, the fear, and the regret.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Izzy

  “You ready for this?” Max looks over at me.

  “No. He’s going to hate me.” I run my hand through my hair.

  “He won’t. Lucy and I will be there for you. He just needs to listen to everything.” His hand rubs slow circles on my back and I close my eyes. Max’s phone dings and he pulls it out, cursing after a minute. “We have to put the talk on hold for a few minutes. I apparently need to take the girls somewhere. I’ll come get you once they’re done. No one really knows where I live, so you’ll be good here and I’ll make sure I lock the door.” He kisses me before grabbing the keys to his truck.

  I mindlessly flip through the channels, completely over thinking everything that could happen today. My phone buzzes, making me jump at first.

  Twisted: Hey, you free? I want to show you something?

  Me: Yea, but I don’t have a car or anything.

  Twisted: You want me to send someone to get you?

  The fact that I’m at Max’s isn’t something that I want to tell him.

  Me: No. I’ll get a ride. Thanks. See you soon.

  I call a cab and give them the address that he sent to me. It’s a large brick building. There are windows up toward the top but not many down below. Before I get out I take a look around and relax when I see my brother’s bike. I hand the driver some cash and get out.

  Walking into the empty building, my skin crawls.

  It’s eerily quiet in here except for a few whispers.

  My hair stands up, my skin tingling in fear.

  Something is wrong.

  All of a sudden the lights come on and I look around completely confused. Twisted, Torch, and Whip are all standing there.

  “Izzy?” Twisted asks in confusion.

  I walk over to them quickly. I can hear voices in here besides us and it makes my feet move a little faster. Twisted wraps his arm around my shoulder, holding me to him. They are all thinking the same thing I am. Something isn’t right.

  “Why did you ask me to meet you here?” I look up at him.

  His brows draw together in confusion. “I didn’t text you. We got a message from Max that he needed help with the girls and to come here.”

  We all look at each other, knowing that something is seriously wrong. Just then another set of lights illuminates a different part of the warehouse. Lucy, Nikki, and Tracie are standing there with Max. They run over to us. Everyone is on high alert. Something is going on. We were all brought here.

  The last corner in the warehouse lights up and my mouth goes dry.

  Hades.

  No.

  He has his officers with him and the four men focus in on us. Twisted shoves me behind him next to Nikki. His hand is holding onto me tightly.

  I feel sick. I know why they are here. Why we are all here. It’s because of me. All I can do now is hope that this doesn’t end in someone I love getting hurt.

  “Hello, boys,” Hades says. His voice is like ice in my veins.

  “What the fuck is all this about?” Twisted says. His voice is calm and lethal all at the same time.

  “I noticed you’re trying to protect two women instead of one.” Hades laughs. “Sure that’s a good decision?”

  Twisted pushes us farther from sight behind him but still not letting go. “I won’t ask again. What the fuck is going on!” His voice echoes in the empty space.

  “That’s a great question actually. Let’s start with how all of you got here. Cell phones can do amazing things. Look at you all. I had Beast here make you think that the other person was askin’ you to meet them here.” He takes a few more steps toward our group. “I got to you so easily you should be fucking ashamed.”

  I look over at Max, and he knows just like I do that shit is about to get bad.

  “Now back to the girls you got a hold of. Who’s the new addition?” Hades smiles at me. His tongue darts out, wetting his lips, and I remember the last time he got a hold of me. They are all standing within ten feet of us now, and I swear my heart is beating so fast it feels like it might burst right out of my chest.

  “If you’re askin’ that question then you already know that she’s my sister.” I can hear the anger building in his voice.

  “Is she now? Interesting. I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before. Beast, she look familiar to you?” He turns to his VP.

  “Hmmm, might look more familiar if she got on all fours.” Beast’s voice is slimy and makes my skin crawl at the thought that he touched me in the past.

  Hades nods his head in agreement. “You want to know where I recognize her from, Pres?”

  Twisted looks back at me. This was not how this was supposed to go. I wanted to talk to him the same way I did with Max and Lucy. He might have understood.

  “You give up? I recognize your whore sister from my bed.” The sounds of shock from my friends are deafening.

  “Izzy, what is he talking about?” Twisted asks, his eyes still trained on the other men.

  “I thought you’d smell a rat when I sent one. That’s why I made sure to dress that rat up real pretty. It was just luck that we found out she was actually related to you.” Hades’ laugh fills the small space.

  Twisted lets go of my arm. He takes a couple steps back, keeping Nikki behind him, and the other men in front of him. “Tell me he’s lying.”

  “You don’t understand. That’s not the way it was.” Tears well in my eyes as I see the betrayal in his expression. “Please, you have to let me explain.”

  “Explain what? How could there be any explanation?” He moves back more toward the other guys and away from me.

  Before I know what’s happening an arm is wrapped around my waist and I scream. Beast has a hold on me.

  All of the guys draw their guns. It’s an even match. Four against four, until Beast points his at my head.

  “You make a move she dies in front of you. Put them the fuck down.” His lips press against my cheek and I squirm in his arms, trying to break free.

  Max drops his gun, looking at everyone else expectantly. “Are you all kidding me?”

  “Ah, the prospect.” Hades moves in front of me. “Bet you also didn’t know these two have been fucking like rabbits behind your back.”

  Twisted’s eyes shoot to Max.

  “You need to hear her out, Pres. There is so much more to this shit.” Max pleads with my brother.

  “You fucking knew?” Twisted shouts.

  “T, you have to listen to her!” Lucy shouts.

  “Don’t tell me you knew about this shit too.” Twisted glares at Lucy.

  I kick and try to escape the suffocating hold Beast has on me.

  His nose runs along my shoulder before pain shoots through me as his teeth dig into my skin. I scream. Everyone turns to me, and I can feel the blood dripping down my chest.

  “I’ll fucking kill you!” Max yells, but the gun is once again pressed to my temple. I flinch when he cocks it.

  “Take another step. I dare you.” Beast laughs.

  In all the commotion I hear a door open and close and when I look back at the boys Torch and all the girls are gone.

  “Well, it was fun. We’re gonna be going now. I’ll see you boys soon,” Hades says and the tone of his voice scares me to the bon
e.

  “You’re not fucking taking her anywhere!” Max runs toward me and a loud bang sounds. I close my eyes in pain. My head feels like it’s being split in two.

  I can hear yelling. When I open my eyes Max is on the floor. There is blood gushing out of his side.

  “No!” I scream so loud it hurts.

  Twisted takes a few steps toward us and Beast raises his gun again.

  “No! Don’t hurt anyone else. I’ll go with you. I won’t fight you.” My voice is full of sadness and a sense of defeat.

  Whip is crouched next to Max, holding his shirt to his side.

  Please, God, let him be okay.

  I can hear him screaming.

  Screaming in pain.

  Screaming my name.

  It’s killing me.

  “Well then, I guess it’s time for us to leave. Great seeing you, boys. We’ll have to do it again sometime soon,” Hades says as he is walking backward. As we reach the door I look back.

  Twisted is watching me. He is looking at me like he wants to save me and kill me all at once. Max is still screaming.

  “Don’t think about not keeping your word.” Beast sneers in my ear. “I wasn’t shootin’ to kill last time. I have no problem showing you how precise I can be.”

  I keep walking until they stop in front of the car. I stand by the backseat, waiting for them to unlock the doors. Hades turns to me and hits me so hard I instantly fall to the ground. “Animals ride in the fucking trunk.”

  Beast grabs a handful of my hair, pulling me toward the back of the car. I scream as I can feel my hair ripping from my scalp. “Get in or you’ll regret it. You don’t want me to do it.”

  I climb up and roll myself into the trunk.

  He slams it closed, and I’m surrounded by darkness.

  The guys in the car are laughing and joking around like they didn’t just shoot someone and shove me in the trunk of their car.

  The car hits a bump and my body bounces up, slamming back down against something hard in the car. I let out a cry of pain and the laughing only gets louder.

  “Don’t worry, whore, by tomorrow you’ll never feel pain again.”