by Cox, Carrie;
I took another sip of my coffee. “Where are we going?”
“Blackthorne headquarters. It’s a few hours’ drive, but it’s a bit cooler outside now. Come on, let’s get some food inside of you.”
He took my hand in his, and his palm felt rough, but warm against my skin.
I followed him shyly, acting like a lovesick teenager. That wasn’t good. I needed to keep some distance between us. Amazing sex was one thing, but getting emotionally involved was just stupid.
I slipped my hand from Nick’s grasp and used both hands to hold my mug of coffee. But he didn’t seem to notice as he led me back through to the bar.
There were quite a few people in there. I recognized Johnny from last night, and of course, Damien, Chad, and Tom. But there were quite a few people I didn’t recognize, mostly men.
Everyone seemed to pause in their conversation as I walked in. I shifted slightly closer to Nick, hesitating in the doorway, unsure of what to do.
A blonde haired woman walked forward and smiled at me. “I’m Martha,” she said. “Johnny’s wife.”
I realized she was the one who had given me the clothes.
I gestured to the shirt. “Thank you so much for letting me borrow these clothes. Is it all right if I keep them for a while until I can send them back to you?”
“You can keep them, sweetheart. They are just old ones, and you’re welcome to them. Now how about some lunch? I’ve made some sandwiches.”
I glanced back at Nick before following Martha to a large table in the center of the room.
“Thank you,” I said as she handed me a plate of sandwiches.
I was absolutely ravenous, but I still found it hard to swallow. I was so nervous. Of course, that was due to the situation I was in, but it was also the way that everyone in the room seemed to be on edge, waiting for me to do something. I didn’t understand it.
I didn’t bother to sit down and join anyone at a table. I started to eat while standing up, until Chad stood up and pulled back his chair. “Ella, you can sit here.”
Why was he being nice to me? I was immediately suspicious.
Everyone was looking at me. I supposed it was because of my little outburst last night. But Nick had been right about one thing, I needed to play along if I was to get out of this mess. I could do that.
“Thank you,” I muttered a little snarkily as I sat in the chair he’d vacated.
Tom sat on my left, but thankfully, he and Chad had both showered so they didn’t smell so bad today.
Damien sat across the table from me, staring at me with those dark, evil eyes.
On instinct, I looked over my shoulder at Nick, but he was talking to Martha and helping himself to more sandwiches.
I took another bite, but the bread seemed to get stuck in my throat. I took a sip of coffee to try and wash it down, but it just made it worse. Chad slapped me on the back.
“Hey!”
“I thought you were choking,” he said gruffly.
Damien was still staring at me. He was so creepy.
“We are leaving in ten minutes, Ella,” he said. “I hope you’re not going to give us any trouble today.”
I stared at Damien with hatred. It was all his fault. Chad and Tom looked scary enough, but I didn’t believe they really wanted to hurt me or keep me against my will, and I knew that Nick didn’t, so it had to be Damien. He was my enemy.
I lowered my gaze. “Of course not, Damien,” I said, sweetly.
My reaction caught him off-guard. He had obviously been expecting me to ask about leaving again.
After a moment’s pause, Damien nodded. Then he stood up and looked at Tom. “Let’s get the bikes ready.”
***
We’d been riding for three hours when we finally passed a town sign that said, Welcome to Blackthorne.
I was surprised. This was Blackthorne? It was a proper town; I hadn’t expected that. I thought we would be somewhere out in the middle of nowhere. I smiled. This was positive. A town meant there would be people I could ask to help me. I scanned the small town as we drove through it. We passed a row of houses, a general store, and a gas station. The sign had stated that the population was only eight hundred and sixty, but that was better than nothing. I tried to soak everything up so I would remember the layout if I ever needed to get back there.
To my disappointment, we rode on, and as the minutes passed, I felt my unease grow. The place we were going was obviously further out-of-town than I had hoped.
When the town was only a speck on the horizon, what looked like a huge motel came into view. There was a diner on one side, and on the other, there was what looked like a biker bar. As we got closer, I could see the bikes lined up in the parking lot. I shivered as we pulled in and parked at the front of the bar.
Everyone else seemed very happy to have arrived. They laughed and slapped each other on the back. Even Nick seemed more light-hearted than usual. None of the others said anything to me as they headed inside, so I trailed along behind them. I wondered if they would even notice if I made a run for it, but as I looked over my shoulder at the dusty road we had just driven down, I realized there was nowhere for me to go.
As soon as we entered the building, I saw that it was a much bigger bar than the one we had just left. There was a huge stage to one side and a long bar covered up most of the back wall. There were only a couple of people nursing drinks at the bar.
Before I had a chance to absorb any more of my surroundings, a tall, slim brunette, wearing a tank top and jeans made a whooping sound and then ran towards Damien, throwing her arms around his neck.
I just stood there staring at them. I couldn’t believe that Damien could elicit that reaction from anyone. Someone was actually pleased to see him.
As I turned to look at the others to see if anyone else was as surprised as I was, she was talking excitedly to Damien, calling him sweetie and honey. I guessed it took all sorts. It must be true what they say. There really is someone for everyone.
Then suddenly she seemed to notice me hanging back behind the others. She froze mid-conversation.
“Who is this?” Her face was strangely devoid of expression, so I couldn’t tell if she resented me being there.
Chad, Tom and Nick stayed silent. Even Damien took his time replying. So I spoke up, “I’m Ella.”
“Ella?” She frowned as she looked at me and then shot a very sharp look at Damien.
“I’m Nancy,” she said as if I should know who Nancy was.
I said hi and tried to smile, but it wasn’t easy when I was so nervous.
Nancy turned back to Damien again and raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to explain?”
“She’s just a girl we’ve brought back to see Victor. It’s nothing for you to get concerned about.”
Nancy glanced back at me and looked me up and down. “Why does she have to see Victor?”
That was a very good question and one I would have liked the answer to as well.
“It’s complicated,” Damien said.
“But…”
“Not now,” Damien said, irritably, holding up his hand. Nancy scowled at him.
“We’ve had a long drive, and I could do with something to eat,” he said.
“Then you can make it yourself,” Nancy said, pointedly. “I’ve got a bar to run.” She spun around on her heel and walked off. I couldn’t help smiling at Damien’s stunned reaction. His face was a picture.
Chad made a joke at Damien’s expense, which earned him a glare from the big man.
“What are you all doing standing around? Haven’t you got anything better to do?” Damien snapped.
Damien headed behind the bar and began pulling beers. I stood there thinking that at any moment someone would take me to meet Victor and get it all over with so I could leave, but no one seemed in a hurry to do that.
When Damien held a draft beer out for me, I shook my head. “I thought I was going to see Victor.”
I couldn’t keep the frustra
tion out of my voice. What the hell were they doing sitting around drinking? The whole point of this visit was for me to see Victor.
Damien waved a hand at me in dismissal. “He’s busy. You’ll see him later.”
“What?”
Nick took the beer from Damien and walked over to hand it to me. “Relax, Ella. You have to see him later. There’s a big gathering here tonight, and he’s busy with that.”
“A gathering? You mean a party?”
Chad snorted with laughter.
Nick ignored him. “Something like that.”
Now I was even more confused. Why had they brought me here when there was going to be a party? Surely it was better that I saw Victor before then and got everything sorted out.
Before I could argue with Nick, Damien made me jump by yelling out for Nancy.
When Nancy stalked out of a doorway at the back of the bar, Damien said, “Ella needs a room and some clothes. Can you sort it?”
Nancy gave him a hard look but then she nodded and looked at me. She crooked her finger. “Come on then, Ella.”
I took my beer with me. I figured I would need it.
Nancy was tall and slim with incredibly long legs, and I had to walk fast to keep up with her.
“I’m sorry for putting you to so much trouble,” I said, trying to be friendly so that she might feel inclined to help me.
Nancy shrugged. “Are you okay?”
It was a simple question, but there was genuine concern in her voice, and it made me tear up.
“Not really,” I said. “I don’t know why I’m here. I just want to go home, but they are insisting I see Victor.”
“And do you know who Victor is? Have you seen him before?”
I shook my head. “I haven’t got a clue who he is.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “I was at a bar with a friend and I…” I hesitated for a moment, my cheeks flushed, and then I said it all in a rush, “I hooked up with Nick… And afterwards, well, I’d had a lot to drink. I don’t really remember anything that happened after that. When I woke up in the morning, Chad was in my room, blocking the door, and they wouldn’t let me go.”
Nancy stopped walking and turned around to face me. She was almost a foot taller than I was. She looked down at my face, studying me intently. She didn’t say anything. Why was everybody around here so weird?
“I’ll get you some clothes,” she said. Her voice was gentle, almost motherly. “I’m sure you’ll get your meeting with Victor later, and everything will be fine.”
She didn’t sound very certain to me.
Nancy showed me into a small room with a double bed. It was plainly furnished, with white painted walls, and bare floorboards, but it looked clean and the linen looked fresh.
“Will this do?” She asked as if I had a choice.
“Yes, thank you.”
“I’m going to get you some clothes, so wait here.”
She left the room but didn’t completely shut the door behind her. I flopped back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. I just couldn’t think of a way to get out of this mess.
3
Nancy had only been gone for a minute or so when I heard footsteps and sat up. I assumed it was Nancy coming back with the clothes, but then I heard a voice I recognized. Deep and gritty. It was Damien.
“Don’t argue with me, woman,” he said.
Then I heard Nancy’s voice. “What kind of threat could a girl like that be to anyone? What were you thinking, Damien?”
“It’s none of your business,” Damien said with a steely voice. “It’s up to Victor, and we’ll know what he wants to do tonight after he’s seen her.”
“Since when were you so bothered about what your brother thinks?”
“Are you determined to fight with me, Nancy? I’ve been away for a week.”
“I don’t want to fight with you, but you drive me crazy sometimes.”
There was silence for a moment before Damien said, “There’s something else.”
“What’s that?”
“We need to keep her away from Nick.”
“Nick? Why?”
“He’s been hanging around her a lot. I think he’s soft on her. We can’t risk that complication, so keep him busy tonight.”
“How?”
“The same way you would keep any man busy. Throw the girls at him and keep him occupied.”
I heard footsteps retreating, and I guessed that Damien was walking off. I stayed sitting on the bed, feeling awkward, as Nancy walked in.
She gave me a pity-filled smile as she put the clothes on the bed.
“It’s not haute couture, but it should do while you’re here,” she said. “There’s a couple of dresses, a pair of jeans, and a couple of tank tops. I had to guess at your size, but I’m pretty good at that.” She smiled. “Is that okay?”
I nodded, afraid to speak in case my voice broke and showed her how scared I really was.
“Can I get you anything else?” Nancy asked, and when I looked up, I could see the pity shining in her eyes. I suspected she knew something I didn’t, and it terrified me.
“No thanks.”
Nancy told me I could find towels and toiletries in the bathroom that was just off the bedroom I was staying in.
After she left me, I was surprised to find that it was quite a spacious ensuite. I took a shower, luxuriating in the hot, steamy water, and enjoyed the feeling of washing the dust from the desert off my skin. I took my time, knowing that I had a lot of time to kill before I saw Victor that evening. When I eventually got out of the shower and dried myself, I walked back into the bedroom, feeling disappointed that Nick hadn’t come to join me. Perhaps he was already with the girls Nancy had been told to throw at him.
It was eerily quiet. I supposed everyone was getting ready for the party that evening, but I really wasn’t in a party mood. I just wanted to speak to Victor and get it over with.
I selected one of the dresses that Nancy had left me. It was black and made out of a stretchy material. The dress wasn’t exactly modest. It ended above the knee and was very low-cut. The way it fitted against my curves made me feel very self-conscious. It didn’t help that I only had my wedges with me, which only had a low heel.
I shook my head when I realized what I was doing. Why did I care about my appearance? Surely that wasn’t the most important thing right now. The only thing I should have been worrying about was speaking to Victor and getting the hell out of there.
There was a mirror on the dressing table by the door, and as I peered into it, I was disappointed to see my face looked washed out and pale.
All traces of the makeup I’d been wearing had disappeared. I always wore a dash of bronzing powder, lip-gloss, and mascara, and I felt naked without it.
I paced back and forth in the room for a little while, but I was growing bored. All this waiting around was really getting to me.
I heard giggling voices outside as someone passed my room, so I opened the door and poked my head out into the corridor. There were three girls about my age heading off towards the bar.
With the door open, I could hear music was already pumping away. Maybe the party had started, I figured.
I decided I might as well go to the bar rather than stay brooding in my room.
I thought I should follow the girls, and I might get a chance to ask them if I could use their cell phones, but they disappeared around the end of the corridor before I could get there. I quickened my pace, but they must have gone into one of the rooms because I didn’t see them again, and I walked all the way through to the bar.
I stopped in the doorway.
There were a few men over by the pool table, and now there were more gathered around the bar, but I didn’t pay them any attention. At the other end of the bar, Nick stood leaning back and talking animatedly to a pretty blonde girl, who wore a short black dress similar to mine, only her figure was a lot better than mine.
The girl laughed and put her hand on Nick’s arm. I was surprise
d to feel a flash of jealousy suddenly run through me. I wasn’t normally the jealous type, and it wasn’t as if I had any hold on Nick, but the sight of that girl possessively touching him made me want to snatch her hand off his arm and tell her to back off.
I took a deep breath. I was losing my mind. Nick was a hot guy, and the sex was pretty mind-blowing, but that was all it was. We were two very different people, living two completely different lives.
I was a hard-working college girl, and he was a bad boy biker. It wasn’t as if we could have had a normal relationship, even if circumstances had been different.
I’m not sure how long I stood there watching them, but she continued to flirt with him, and he wasn’t exactly discouraging her. When he threw his head back and laughed at something she had said, I decided I had finally had enough.
I swallowed back my jealousy, turned around, and walked back along the corridor. I didn’t want to return to my room, though. I wanted to go outside and get some fresh air, but I didn’t want to walk into the bar and pass Nick.
The place seemed to be a maze of corridors, but I eventually managed to find the exit behind the bar.
The desert night air was cool and surprisingly refreshing. It felt good to breathe it in, even though I shivered as the frigid air touched my exposed skin.
I wondered if I could make a run for it now and looked in the direction of the town of Blackthorne. I wasn’t sure how far it was exactly, but I guessed it must be at least five miles away. I felt an overwhelming urge to leave now and just keep walking towards the lights. I wondered how long it would be before they realized that I’d gone. I let my imagination run wild. Maybe I could even get one of the bikes from the parking lot and wheel it down the road. I could start the engine when I was a distance away from the bar so no one would hear me trying to escape.
Of course, there were a couple of problems with that plan. The first one being that I couldn’t actually drive and didn’t have a license.
I heard voices behind me and jumped.
“What are you doing out here, Ella? Where is Nick?”
It was Chad, with Tom not far behind him.
“He’s not my babysitter,” I said and rolled my eyes.