by K E Osborn
“I have, doc, I’ve thought about this ever since I got here. Even harder since last night. This is all I’ve been thinking about.”
Zane goes to make a move, but Luc flicks off the safety of the gun making Zane halt his movements again as I let out a small gasp.
“You don’t want to kill him, Luc,” I beg.
Luc shakes his head. “No, I don’t. You’re a good guy, Zane. I think we could have been friends. I’m sorry, man,” he mutters then brings the gun up slamming the butt of it straight into Zane’s head.
Zane drops like a bag of potatoes to the ground as I jump in shock bringing my hands to my mouth trying to hide my scream. I don’t want to do anything to antagonize Luc as I watch Zane on the ground, a pool of blood oozing from his head.
The doctor inside me surfaces instantly. “Luc, can I check if Zane’s okay?” I ask, my voice a breathy whisper.
He points the gun from me to Zane signaling for me to check. “But do anything stupid, I’ll shoot you, doc. I don’t have a choice.”
Sniffling, I nod as I bend down to check Zane has a pulse. He does. It’s strong. He’s just been knocked out. Thank God. I stand, looking right into Luc’s eyes with sadness. He steps up, grabbing me, walking with me around the side of the clubhouse.
“Where are we going?” I ask, terror filling my veins.
“I have to take you to the Sovereigns.”
My eyes widen as I stop walking, but he yanks on my arm aiming the gun at my head. “Keep walking, doc, I won’t tell you again.”
My body tightens, tingles run down my spine as I begin to shudder in fear. “How are we getting there?” my voice trembles.
“Taking your car,” he specifies his voice void of emotion.
“What if I won’t go with you?” I need to delay him, pass some time until Chains comes to find us.
He stops, turning to face me. “Then I’ll call the Sovereigns again, tell them to come back. This time with brute force, not those pissy little rejects. They’ll wipe your friends out, doc, I can promise you that.”
“Wait… call them again?”
His face gleams with a sinister sneer. “Picked up on that, did you?”
Shock falls over every inch of me. “You have a cell?”
He pulls it from his pocket with ease. “Swiped it from Zane when he was changing over my piss pot, and he wasn’t looking. Guy’s great and all but needs to keep on top of his shit. To be fair, I did swipe it from his jacket.”
Tension rolls through me. I can’t believe this. I can’t fathom I’m here in this situation.
Jesus. I had Luc all wrong.
How could I be so stupid?
“Luc, you don’t have to do this. We can talk this through,” I try to reason with him as he leads me around the side of the building to the main yard where I see my car. Fear rolls over my shoulders as I hope for Chains to come roaring out of the clubhouse to my defense.
“But I do, doc. You don’t get it. You think you can keep me here and not suffer the consequences? Now act cool and let’s get into your car.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders pulling me to him in an embrace as his free hand aims his gun into my stomach. A lump gets caught in my throat as we walk to my car, our backs to Gatekeeper so he can’t see the gun pressed against me. To him it will look like a couple of friends casually walking to my car. Though, this is anything but.
We step up to my car, Luc opens the passenger side for me. I slide in without fighting back even though everything inside me wants to. But I can’t risk it. I can’t risk him making a call to the Sovereigns to bring them all here. I won’t put the club in danger let alone Chains.
If it’s me he wants, then he can have me.
As long as Chains is safe.
Luc looks at me. “No funny shit, doc.”
I tense up as he closes the door. For the brief moment, I’m alone in the car, and all I can hear is my heart pumping loudly in my ears. The thumping of it in my chest feels like it’s going to tear through my rib cage. I hope, almost pray at any second Chains will walk out the door to see us preparing to leave, but all I hear is the muted sound of the door opening on the driver’s side. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding as he slides in. The gun positioned at me as he holds it above his lap so Gatekeeper can’t see.
“Seatbelt, doc. Safety first.”
Flaring my nostrils, I glance at Luc with narrowed eyes.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that, doc, I don’t want you to get hurt. So, as I said, buckle-the-hell-up!” he reiterates leaning across me, yanking on the seatbelt, pulling it across my chest and buckling it up. My chest heaves as he leans under the dash pulling out some wires.
I scrunch up my face. “Didn’t think about getting the keys?” I goad.
He sneers at me as he joins two frayed wires together, then grabs two others starting to tap them together. The car turns over, and he revs the engine. Glancing in my mirror, I notice Gatekeeper watching us like he’s a little confused as to what’s going on. I see him writing something down, but I don’t say anything to Luc as he reverses out of the park then heads for the gate.
“Make him open the gate, doc.”
I lean across Luc with a smile, faking it the best I can. “All good, Gatekeeper, can you let us through? We’ll be back in about half an hour. Just taking him to the hospital for some testing.”
Gatekeeper doesn’t look convinced. “Ah-huh…” is all he murmurs as he opens the gate.
I recline in my seat as Luc pulls through the gate driving off toward the Sovereigns.
I can’t help myself as I turn my head glancing back at the clubhouse, just trying to see in desperation if anyone is coming, if anyone is following.
But no one is.
No one’s coming.
I have to face the fact—I’m on my own.
I just hope Chains knows how I feel about him. Our time together as a couple meant so much to me. He’s the reason I’m doing this. I don’t want him to blame Zane and get lost in a pit, wallowing without me. I know I’m going to be lost now. The Sovereigns aren’t the kind of people you come back from, not women anyway. I know there’s no returning from this, but if it saves Chains and his club, then I have no choice.
The good of the many outweigh the good of the few.
Today, I am that few.
And for the others to get through this, I have to be sacrificed.
What awaits me, I have no idea. All I know is I’m not looking forward to it.
What the hell have I gotten myself into?
CHAINS
Zane catches my attention as he stumbles looking like he’s as drunk as a skunk. He holds onto his head mumbling about something or other which makes me chuckle at him as does everyone else, until it clicks in my mind he was with Bex and Luc.
Then I see it, the red oozing through the fingers he’s holding to his forehead.
“Fuck, Zane,” I call out racing up to him, reaching out just in time for him to fall into my arms.
His eyes roll around in his head as brothers rush to surround us.
“Where the fuck are Bex and Luc?” I almost yell as I glance around the clubhouse. My chest tightening as I breathe a little faster.
Zane winces. “Sorry, brother. Fucker’s got my gun… he took her.”
I let go of Zane, luckily he’s got his balance back now as he rights himself while I begin to pace.
Torque strides up to us with stern purpose. “What the fuck’s going on?”
I pant heavily as I run my hand through my hair. “Luc’s got Bex. Fuck! We have to find them.”
“They just left,” a voice calls out making all our heads snap toward the front door.
We turn to see Gatekeeper down from his post as he strides up to Torque. “Pres, I’m sorry for letting them out the gate, but Luc had a gun aimed at her. I don’t think he thought I could see it, but I didn’t want to risk him putting a bullet in her if I tried to stop them from getting through. They can’t have gotten far,
they only just left. I came straight in. Took down her license plate in case we need to track it.”
My heart races in my chest as I don’t waste any time, my feet pound as I race for the door. The heavy stomping of footsteps lets me know my brothers are right behind me. I don’t care if all, or none ride with me. I’m not letting Bex leave with him. I know her car, it’s bright fucking yellow. Way to choose a getaway car, Luc, you idiot. It should be easy tracking them down.
I run to my ride quicker than I ever thought possible, my brothers at my back as I yank on my helmet. I start my ride up as I pull out so fast Gatekeeper barely has time to open the gate before I’m soaring off down the access road. We didn’t even discuss what we’re doing, but we all seem to know anyway as bikes take off flowing off in all directions taking as many roads as possible.
We need to find Bex.
We need to find her now.
But me, I’m heading to the one place I think they’ll be going.
To the one place I never wanted to.
The one place I never thought I would ever go back to.
The place that haunts me.
The place that fills me with terror.
I’m heading for basecamp.
BEX
My heart pounds in my chest as blackness takes over my senses. I have no idea where I am or what cruel things await me. All I know is Luc ripped the bottom of his shirt then tied it around my eyes as a makeshift blindfold. I guess so I can’t see where he’s driving me. Not that it matters, I’m sure I won’t be making it back out of there.
“Almost there, doc. Now, just do as they say, don’t fight back. You’ll do better that way,” Luc advises.
I let out a stifled laugh. “Really? You’re telling me to just keep my cool while they beat, and do, God knows what else to me? Yeah, good pep talk, Luc,” I spit out even though I can’t see him. I can only make out the sound of my car’s engine and the crunch of the tires pulling onto what sounds like gravel.
“Just don’t give them a reason to hurt you. Despite what you think, doc, I don’t want them to.”
If my eyes were open, I would roll them. But they’re not, so I simply shake my head as the car rolls to a stop. A sudden rush of nerves filter through me as I figure I can try for one last ditch effort to try to convince Luc to let me go. “Luc, if you take me back now, you can drop me off down the road and leave. I won’t tell them anything. Just let me go, then you go. Take off, have a life. You know Chains is going to come look for me. He’ll come after you, too. I don’t want that, neither do you.”
He exhales. I think for a moment he’s considering this. “It’s too late, doc, I have to do this. It’s the only way… I’m sorry.”
The car engine turns off, his door opens then slams leaving me in the car on my own. Panic sets in as silence enters the car. I’m blinded, but my other senses are taking over. I feel like I can hear water, moving water, which is strange because I thought a marsh pond would be stagnant, but I don’t know where it’s coming from or what it means. It’s dulled, probably from me being in the car. Plus, the thudding of my heartbeat is so loud in my ears it’s almost deafening. I’m assuming they’ve taken me to basecamp, maybe something’s changed?
Suddenly, my door yanks open making me fall slightly to the side as my head snaps up as if to look even though I can’t possibly see who it is.
A hand yanks on my arm. “Get out,” Luc demands.
So, I unclick my belt, sliding out of the car, my body trembling with not knowing where the hell I’m going. My feet step onto gravel as I try to gather my bearings. The air smells fresh. I’m not sure why, but I expected basecamp to smell old, musty. I had this vision in my head, I guess I saw it as like a war camp—gravel ground, barbed wire everywhere, wooden crosses, blood smeared on the pebbles. Chains didn’t paint a pretty picture for me when he finally opened up about it. So, my inner thoughts about this place aren’t pleasant ones. I’m not looking forward to whatever they will have in store for me.
Luc yanks on my arm making me stumble forward as I hear my car door slamming behind me.
“Good to have you back, Lucian. I’ll take this to the designated position,” a voice calls out then another door shuts, I’m assuming the driver’s side. The car starts up again, then I hear it driving off.
“Who was that?” I mutter.
“Quiet,” Luc insists.
I stumble on something, tripping a little, but Luc wraps his arm around my waist hoisting me back up. “I got you,” he murmurs.
But I yank myself out of his grip feeling like I’d rather try walking on my own than have this traitor touching me right now. His grip on my arm keeps firm, though as we come to a halt, fear ripples through me as I hear the grinding of a metal door, almost like a roller door closing. My body begins to tremble harder as Luc holds me close to him.
“Lucian, you got out. Just like you said you would,” a deep voice rumbles through the vast space bouncing off the walls.
“Of course, Edgar. You should have never doubted me.”
My muscles tense as I shudder all over. He’s the man who haunts Ty’s nightmares. He’s the man who brutally violated Ty countless times.
“I never did for a moment with your father’s life on the line, I expect the motivation was high enough for you to get back here.”
My stomach rolls as I tense up even further. Luc’s father, Gabe, is here? And obviously being held for ransom by Edgar. No wonder Luc turned against us. I should have seen this coming. I was so focused on Chains having his childhood friend back, I didn’t concentrate on what was right in front of me the entire time. There was always a reason for Luc coming back here, I just didn’t realize it would be for his father’s freedom.
“I’m back like you wanted. And I brought the doctor like you wanted. So let my father go!”
“Not until some things are settled, Lucian. You did tell us you saw Ty drown in the marsh pond when you both tried to escape all those years ago. We beat you, tortured you endlessly to get you to break into telling us the truth, you never did. So, we assumed you must not have been lying, that you did see him drown… but then, he kidnaps you nineteen years later. Care to explain this to me?” His voice is husky, croaky, he sounds old, he sounds sinister. His voice creeps me out.
“I can’t explain it, Edgar.”
So, this is the man who…
Tortured Chains.
Manipulated him.
Scarred him.
Broke him.
“I saw him go under the muddied water. When you came and found me, he was under, I swear it to you. I thought he was gone. Somehow, he must have swum out, but I didn’t see.”
Luc’s lying.
From Chain’s retelling of the story, Luc pushed Ty through the chain fence into the bushes to hide when the guards came. Ty had no choice but to leave without him. Luc chose to stay and made sure Ty got out. Luc saved Ty. Gave Ty his freedom, but sacrificed his own.
Why?
I have no idea.
“Your connection, your bond was strong back then. Did you reconnect in your time with him now?” a voice asks.
“No, I hardly spoke with him. I spent all my time with her.” He clasps onto my arm harder yanking me to step forward. “This is Rebecca Kline. When Chains broke free, her family took him in, and they raised him. She can give us anything we need. She’s also the club doctor, so she could be very useful to us.”
Tilting my head at the last part, it’s almost like he’s making an excuse to keep me around, like he’s trying to find a reason for them to keep me alive. But he wouldn’t be trying to fight for me. Would he? No, that’s just wishful thinking on my behalf. I’m clutching at straws in a shitty situation.
“Rebecca Kline… such an ordinary name. Such an ordinary family, I’m sure. Ty should have served his life with us. Instead, he spent it with her,” Edgar spits.
My skin crawls as my fists clench tightly together. “Better growing up normal with us than turning into a monster li
ke you,” I spit out.
Luc tightens his grip on my arm as Edgar starts to laugh. “Take off her blindfold.”
Luc lets me go then starts to take off my blindfold. My aim is to take in the exits as soon as I can. From what I can tell, there’s only three men in here, but I can run fast.
He pulls off the material, and I open my eyes blinking rapidly to take in the light. It stuns me for a moment as I look at the space around me. Two older men in front of me wearing camo cargo pants and olive green bomber jackets with a black shirt. They look very uniformed, but it’s not Army issue. They definitely don’t belong to the services. I’m assuming that’s Edgar, and I’m guessing the man who’s wearing handcuffs and badly beaten is Gabe, Luc’s father.
It’s only now as I look at it, I realize it’s the same shit Luc was wearing when he arrived at the Defiance clubhouse. We gave him new clothes to change into after a week of being there, but this is obviously their uniform.
Edgar is really unattractive—scars litter his face. His nose looks like it’s been broken a few too many times. They look me up and down, leeringly. I cringe hating the thoughts that must be plaguing their minds as I glance around the area. It’s not what I was expecting. I thought I would see chaos, carnage, but I’m in what seems to be an office area. There’s only one door which is guarded by two other stocky, younger men wearing the same shit.
Five to one—my odds just got a hell of a lot worse.
I think my escape plan is foiled.
Fuck.
“I like the look of you, Rebecca. You have spirit, you have fight. I like a woman with a bit of zeal in her. We’re going to have a real good time, you and me,” Edgar offers stepping in front of me.
I tense up as his hand moves in, his fingers slide against my face then lightly gliding down my cheek tenderly. I shudder in fear—fear of him touching me, fear of the unknown. This man, this despicable man has done horrendous things to Chains. I want so badly to ram my knee into his balls, but I look directly into his eyes trying to show no fear. He leers at me. It doesn’t calm me at all as his fingers slide down my jaw. Tension flows through me as his fingers continue to trail down the side of my neck. My breathing increases as does my heart rate.