Broken

by Alexis Noelle

  They’re going to kill me.

  The worst part is that right now I am not even sure who would care and who would be relieved.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Max

  Pain.

  It’s all I feel.

  It’s like a hole is burning through my side.

  An entire bag of ice could be poured on me right now and I’d still feel like I was burning in hell.

  I see Izzy walking out the door and I scream for her. Whip is holding something to my side to stop the bleeding, I’m sure.

  A chill runs through as I begin to shiver.

  “It’s fucking cold in here.” My voice is gritty and laced with pain.

  “T! We need to get Doc to the clubhouse now. He’s bleeding a lot. I can’t stop it. He just said he was cold. That means he’s lost a lot of blood. This is not fucking good,” Whip yells.

  I look over to see Pres still staring out the door Izzy walked out of. He let her fucking go. He turned on her. If she doesn’t make it back to me, I swear to God I’ll fucking kill him. He walks over to me.

  “At least he got hit high. Ain’t any organs around there. I’m guessing it’s just stuck in his muscle, which hurts like a bitch. Let’s get him to the truck.”

  The two men each grab one of my arms, and I roar in pain as they lift me.

  I don’t remember the drive very much. I kept falling asleep before someone would shake me awake. I’m moved again, but this time I don’t even have the energy to scream. I’m brought inside and laid on a long table when Doc appears.

  “There’s no exit wound.” Doc gives me a look of pity. “I need to get the bullet out. I’m going to give you some morphine, then—”

  “No.” Twisted interrupts him. “No drugs. I need him coherent after this, not passed out.”

  Doc shakes his head but doesn’t argue. “I’m going to apologize in advance for this, son.”

  I can see Twisted standing in the corner of the room, watching.

  I can hear distant banging and it sounds like someone yelling. It sounds like Lucy. The door opens and Whip walks in. “You need to talk to her. She is losing her shit out there.”

  “No, once Doc is done, I’ll have them both in a room at the same time. You’re lucky she’s your old lady. Keeping shit like this to herself is fucking messed up.” It sounds like the words are being forced out through clenched teeth.

  Whip leaves without another word, and Twisted stands in the corner. Not saying anything, just watching me.

  I can’t even describe the pain of having a bullet dug out of your body. By the time Doc is done I’m spent and fucking tired.

  “Wake up!” Twisted’s voice shouts. “You’re not fucking sleeping right now. We have shit to hash out. Lucy!” The door opens in the matter of a few seconds. “Knew you’d be out there waiting and listening. Sit.”

  Lucy walks over to the couch, crossing her arms and slamming down.

  Pres walks over to me. “Up.” He wraps one of my arms around his neck and helps me over to the couch so I’m sitting next to Lucy.

  Twisted is standing in front of us, pacing back and forth. He reminds me of a disappointed father getting ready to scold his children. My side is killing me and this is the last thing I want to deal with right now. I’m struggling to keep my eyes open, completely exhausted from the pain and from losing as much blood as I did.

  I also can’t concentrate on anything other than the fact that they took her.

  I want to be out there.

  I want to find Izzy.

  “I don’t know what the fuck you two were thinking keeping shit like this to yourselves.”

  Lucy starts to say something next to me.

  “No! That’s not a goddamn invitation to talk, Lucy.”

  She closes her mouth, huffing in irritation.

  “Lucy, you’re an old lady. You are a part of this club. What you did was a betrayal. You.” He looks over at me. “You don’t even have your fucking patch yet and you’re already pulling shit like this?”

  “You don’t understand.” Lucy stands up.

  Twisted opens his mouth to interrupt her, but she isn’t having it this time.

  “No! It’s my turn to talk and get your pig headed ass to understand. Don’t you look at me like that either. We are not in front of your men and you are like a brother to me. The difference is that Izzy is your family! She’s your sister! She was going to tell you today. Max and I found out from her yesterday. She wanted to tell us first so we could be there and be in her corner when she brought it to you and the boys. She was scared to tell you. She thought that she would lose you, that you wouldn’t listen to her explanation.”

  His eyes soften a bit and I know she’s getting through to him.

  “She never once betrayed us. Those assholes did shit to her that you don’t want to hear about. They found out who she was and threatened her to come here for them or they’d kill her. Instead of just giving her a couple bruises like they were supposed to they almost killed her in that field. She had no idea about any of this when she got here. Even after that asshole has threatened her twice in the past week, she wouldn’t turn on us! You fucked up today, and I just hope it isn’t too late for you to save her.” Lucy has tears streaming down her face. “I held your sister as she cried because she thought you’d hate her. That you’d turn your back on her like everyone else has her whole life. I promised her that you were a better man than that. Today you proved me wrong.” She runs out of the room.

  Well, at least I don’t have to give him hell.

  Maybe I like her after all.

  Pres turns to me. “What she said, was it true?”

  I nod.

  “Fuck!” He picks up the chair next to him and flings it at the wall. It breaks into small pieces. “What that asshole said, you lay a hand on my sister?”

  Shit.

  I take a deep breath. “I love her.” I haven’t even told Izzy how I feel about her. I thought it was too soon, that my admission might scare her.

  “I told you not to fucking touch her!” His fist slams down on the table.

  “I’m sorry, Pres. I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t stay away from her. Since that first night, I have felt this intense pull toward her.” I wince from the pain in my chest. Even as I’m carrying a conversation I’m struggling to keep my eyes open.

  His eyes stare me down. “Fuck, I know that feeling. Nikki had me wrapped around her finger since the first night I met her. Don’t think that ignoring my order will go unnoticed. You said she was gonna tell me today?”

  I nod. “We were getting ready to come here together when I got your text to go meet the girls. I told her we’d head over once I got back.”

  He walks to the door and opens it. “Church! Right the fuck now!”

  The brothers file in and each one looks at me like I don’t belong, which I don’t.

  “Shit has gone down today. Prospect is going to tell you all a story. Everyone is to listen to the whole fucking story before I hear anything.” His gaze finds me once more. “Once you’re done you need to leave. You aren’t a brother and you can’t be at church.” He sits down at the head of the table.

  I start explaining the story that Izzy told me. I leave out the specifics of what she went through with those assholes because honestly, they don’t need to know. They just have to understand the position she was put in. Once I’m done, Torch helps me out to a couch in the common room.

  I sit here feeling completely useless. My mind is torturing me with thoughts of what could be happening to her right now.

  Brothers start to file out of the room. Pres walks over and tosses something at me.

  It’s a cut.

  “We voted and agreed you deserve this shit. Even though you fucked up you took a bullet trying to help a member of this club. Welcome to the family, brother.” Pres claps me on the back. I try not to grimace from the pain he causes. “Don’t think this means that you won’t be paying for touching my sister when y
ou weren’t supposed to.” He walks away while everyone else comes up and starts to congratulate me.

  I fucking did it. I’m not a wannabe anymore. I’m a brother. The words I’ve said to Izzy a million times ring in my head.

  Once I patch in I’m claiming you.

  She isn’t here, though, and I can’t. The moment is bittersweet not having her here to celebrate and enjoy it with me. It doesn’t mean anything without her by my side. I look up at Whip. “What’s the plan?”

  He sits down next to me. “We have people out there looking for her now. We know where their clubhouse is, but we don’t think they’ll have her there. Pres is calling a couple other charters and getting them down here tonight so we are ready to move in the morning. He told me to let you know that you can crash here tonight but to stay the fuck away from Izzy’s room.”

  He gives me a nod before walking away.

  I’m coming, Izzy, I promise.

  This is not over for us.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Izzy

  The trunk pops open and I’m blinded by the sunlight. Hades drags me through the club, and I notice that the girls are all new. I’ve never seen any of them before. I shouldn’t be surprised, though. No one can take what these men give for more than a short time.

  Hades yanks on me as I’ve stopped walking. My body starts to go stiff as I think that he’s bringing me toward his room. Thank God he turns and we pass the door. We move to the very end of the hall, and he tosses me into what seems like the garage. There are glass windows all over and I think for a minute that he must be the stupidest criminal ever. There are so many things here that I could use to escape.

  “Just so you know.” His finger twirls in a circle. “Whole place is armed with a security system. You break any of my shit and I’ll break every bone in your body before I slit your throat. Got me?”

  I nod.

  He takes a few steps toward me. His hand reaches out, grabbing the skin at the back of my neck. “Too bad you’re gonna die tomorrow. You would have made a good pet. In fact, that gives me an idea.” He walks out of the room in a hurry, almost as if he’s excited and all I want to do is hide. I look around for a way I could get out that might not alert them. The door opens again and Hades is carrying what looks like metal chains.

  “We used to have a dog, but the stupid fucker wouldn’t shut up, so Axe took care of him. Never thought about using this before, but I think it’ll be fun.” Hades walks toward me and I take a few steps back but trip over my own feet and end up on my ass. “On your knees now.”

  My eyes widen and I feel like I might throw up right then and there. I do as he says, terrified of the consequences if I don’t.

  He pulls the metal over my head and secures it. It’s cold and poking into my neck. “This is what they call a spike training collar.” He holds up the chain link leash. “If you’re a bad girl and try to move, the leash will pull and the spikes will dig into your skin.” He yanks the leash, and I scream as small pricks push against my sensitive skin. “Told you this would be fun.” He ties the leash to the doorknob. “I also brought these so you don’t get any ideas.” In his hands are two small padlocks. With one of them, he secures the leash around the knob. The next he places on the clasp of the collar. It is linking two of the chains so that the collar stays tight around my neck and I have no chance of undoing it. “Shame that I lost the keys, though.” With a smile, he turns away from me and opens the door.

  I scream again as the pressure on my neck is back.

  “Shit, I never thought about what would happen when we opened the door.” He fakes remorse. “Actually it’s the reason I tied it to the handle. See you soon, pet. I’ll let the guys know you want a lot of visitors.”

  The door closes and the pressure on my neck eases. Tears fall down my cheeks as I realize that this is the place I’ll spend the last day of my life. These men have no intention of letting me go.

  I think back to the last time I saw Twisted. The way he looked at me like I was his enemy was exactly what I feared would happen. I tried to trust Max and Lucy when they told me that he would back me because I was family. That he would stand behind me. He didn’t. Maybe if I had listened to them and gone to him sooner it would have worked out the way they said.

  Even knowing that he couldn’t stand the sight of me, there was no way I would’ve let the Sons hurt him. Volunteering to go with them was the only way my family would make it out of this unscathed. Even then Max was shot. I have no idea if he’s even okay.

  Now I’m chained up like an animal.

  The door opens again and I scoot closer to it quickly so that the spikes do not stab me.

  Beast smiles at me. “Now it’s no fun when you do that.” He pulls roughly on the leash, and I scream.

  I can’t take much more of this.

  “Ya know I asked Hades if I could keep you.” He pulls on the leash again, making me fall toward him. His fingers grip my face roughly. “Too bad he is hell-bent on killin’ you.” He laughs in my face before walking away.

  I rack my mind with ways that I could get out of this, something that I could do.

  I’m lost.

  I can barely move with this damn collar around my neck and my head is starting to feel heavy. All I want to do is close my eyes. I’m so tired.

  Once I do all I see is him. I can’t get the image of Max lying on the floor in a puddle of blood out of my head.

  I know that if I had stayed in that warehouse he wouldn’t have been the only person hurt. I couldn’t chance anyone else I cared about getting hurt.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Max

  I wake up with a jolt, reaching out for Izzy. She isn’t there, and I can’t wrap my mind around it. I’m surprised I was even able to fall sleep but honestly, my body was so drained from the damn bullet that it was inevitable.

  The door to the room I’m in opens and Torch is standing there. “Church, now.”

  I roll to the side and throw my feet onto the floor before sitting up. My side hurts like a bitch and I haven’t slept all damn night. All I could think about was Izzy. If she was okay, and what those assholes could be doing to her. I groan as I stand up, my sore muscles fighting against the movement.

  As I walk to church it hits me that this is my first time being there. I finally got my cut last night and when I should have been celebrating I was in pain and worried about my girl. Once I walk in, I grab a seat.

  “We found her. She’s at their damn clubhouse,” Twisted says from the front of the table. Last night the chapter from Milton joined us and they are willing to fight with us to get her back.

  Twisted starts to name brothers, dividing them into groups that will be posted at different points and have different responsibilities. “We will be moving out in a couple hours. Get your shit together.”

  Everyone files out, but I stand up to look at him. “What about me?”

  “You are injured. There is no way I’m assigning you to anything and chancing that you’ll hurt yourself or get my sister hurt.” He walks past me, and I’m left alone standing in the room.

  I can’t believe he thinks that I’ll just be able to sit here and not do anything to help save her. I walk out into the room, determined to talk to him. He needs to understand that hurt or not I will do everything and anything I can to get her back. Pres watches me as I walk toward him.

  “Let me stop you before you start. Whether you got a cut or not last night I’m still in charge here. You’re a liability right now and there is no way in hell—”

  “Pres!” We turn to see Wrench, another brother, rushing toward us. “We got Devil’s Sons members in a car outside.”

  “Fuck. Who’s in the car?” Twisted walks over to the window.

  “Prospect said there’s three of them. No sign of Izzy.”

  Twisted turns toward Torch. “Get a couple crews go out the back and head over to their club. Take the cars so they don’t hear the bikes. Get my sister and give Lady here a ca
ll when you have her. After that, we’ll end these assholes.”

  Torch is gone in a matter of minutes.

  Twisted turns back to me. “Stay here. As soon as he calls you, I need to know.” Without waiting for a reply he walks into the other room.

  I walk toward the doorway, needing to know what’s going on.

  “Everyone fan out. I don’t want them to know how many brothers we have here. Wrench, tell the prospect to open up the gate.” Twisted is ordering everyone around, trying to get people in place.

  A few minutes later Hades’ officers walk through the door. Beast looks around before focusing on Twisted. He’s the one who had taken a hold of Izzy. Seeing him makes my blood boil. “Have to say I expected this place to be nicer. You ready to throw in the white flag and move the fuck out of our territory?”

  Whip is standing next to Twisted, with Wrench and Cutter on the other side of him. “You aren’t getting shit from us, but you will give me my sister back if you have any hope of walking out of here in the same shape you showed up.”

  Three years ago the Sons set up a clubhouse about twenty minutes away from us. They never came to the club first or even notified us that they were moving into the territory. Our club has been here for over twenty years, and this battle has been brewing more and more lately.

  “See, that might be a problem. Not so sure I want to give her back to you.” Beast shrugs like he just refused to give back a pen he borrowed.

  My phone buzzes and I put it to my ear. “Yea.”

  “She ain’t in that room anymore. We are sweeping the club, but I don’t think she’s here.” I can hear a commotion in the background. Shots being fired and people yelling.

  “Is Hades there? His officers are here, but he isn’t.” My fear for Izzy grows knowing that he could have run with her.

  “No sign of him yet. I’ll text you if anything changes.”

  I hang up the phone and walk into the room where the rest of the guys are.

  “Well, if it ain’t the boyfriend.” Beast’s gaze lands on me. “You even got yourself a cut now, huh? Too bad the little whore won’t be around for you to claim.”