“Hey babe what took you so long?” I breathe out as sensual as my quaky voice can muster. “Don’t you fucken dare ‘babe’ me, junkie love!” He sneers pulling me up by my hair laughing.
“Shit Viper you miss me or something,” I laugh over the searing pain in my scalp.
“Pfft miss you baby? Not likely, your ass and pussy yes, but that smart ass mouth and mind no, not at fucken all.” Gripping me around my throat and squeezing the air from me, I see, in the corner of my eye, Lilll scrambling to her feet. Trying to squeeze the word RUN to her I fail, blackness starts to engulf me as he takes all my air.
“This look in your eyes, of fear and the unknown, , junkie love, I have missed that it gets me hard, wanting to scare you more and take from you to fill my need,” I hear him say as my eyes start watering, the tell-tale black spots of unconsciousness blurring my vision. He lets go just before I’m about to pass the fuck out. Leaning in he runs his tongue up my neck and cheek stopping on my temple. I retch at the smell of his breath and dirty ass saliva drying on my skin. This man makes me sick. Pulling back I spit in his face before bringing my knee up, slamming it into his balls. His grip releases and I find myself free. I run as he falls to the ground.
Turning sharply, my foot catches a rock in the field and I fall to the ground. Pulling myself up, I’m caught in the grip of, not Viper, but someone new. Gripping me around my neck he holds me in place as Viper storms over before grabbing me so tightly around my mouth, squeezing his fingers so hard that they push my cheeks in until my lips form an ‘O.’ The pain of my jaw just about cracking snaps me to the fact that, despite everything, I’m so not prepared for this or him.
He spits at me, “Let the games begin, junkie love. Let’s see if biker boy can save you this time.”Just like that, a shooting pain hits the back of my head and the blackness of terror, pain and his haunting words and evil, sick, twisted eyes pull me under into the dark abyss.
“Knox hurry.”
Chapter Twelve
Knox
Running I shred the ground between the main compound and the main house. My heart is pumping in my ears, blood is boiling over, anger flying around me, zapping sparks off me that could cause a bushfire. I need to get to her, I need to know that she is safe. Rounding the gate leading to the backyard which backs onto the river, Lilly slams into me full force, looking over her shoulder tears streaking her cheeks. Grabbing her in my arms before she falls brings back a sense of déjà vu. My breath hitches in my throat, she is panting, her heart is pounding like a jackrabbit, her fear is consuming her. Scooping her up in my arms I carry her up over the deck and place her down on the couch, the boys not far behind me. Bray pushes me out of the way.
“Lilly, Lilly are you ok, baby girl, look at me.” shaking she brings her eyes up to meet mine.
“Knox, I’m so sorry. I told her to run but she wouldn’t, he took her. There were two of them the other hit her over the head with something,” The words were rushing out of her mouth with such speed and she was panting for breath. Bray barks for some water for her. My hearing buzzes and my mind fazes out as the pounding of my pulse sounds out around me, sending fear back though my body as a sense of deja’vu hits me, sending me spinning into a spiral of overwhelming fear. The fear compromises my reality as the anger of losing another hits me full force knocking the air from my lungs. I can’t handle it, I feel it take me and ripple out. I need to fix this I won’t let another die.
“Fuck this,” I jump the rail, over the deck, running out to the fields. I need to find her, find something.
Searching every inch of the field down to the river, I find only some blood spots and tracks through the long grass, all leading out the back to the edge of the property. Judging by the hole cut in the mesh fence and the tire marks on the side of the dirt road I would guess this is where they had been getting in. “Bastards! FUUUUUUUCK!” I scream at the top of my lungs as I fall to my knees smashing my fists into the dirty dust sending clouds up all around me. I failed. I fell straight into his fucken trap and gave him a wide ass opening. He won’t get away with this. Dragging my feet back towards the house I stop by where he took her. Picking up the beer bottles and catching a glimpse of my disheveled self in the water I shudder at the image. I see the hate burning strong in my eyes. She had fought hard to dim the demons, to keep them at bay with hers but, now, she is gone and they are coming out to play. Something shiny catches my gaze and I look to see her bracelet, it must have fallen when he grabbed her. It’s the one her brother gave her before he died with a boxing glove charm and a Lilly flower. I pick it up and, placing it to my lips, I vow to rain down the fires of Hell onto this fuck-bag’s soul.
Walking back to my place, I look at a terrified Lilly who is still shaking in Bray’s arms, Not only did he take Blue he has fucken scarred Lilly to death and added fuel to the fire that burnt in her not to love. Showing her that all she loves will eventually get ripped away from her. This will hunt her and me as I watch her beautiful features turn to horror and pain as Bray tries to calm her down. Placing a brown paper bag from the kitchen into his hands for him to palace over her mouth, she is hyperventilating and will pass out if we don’t get her breathing and heart rate under control. This asshole will not win and get away with this. He wants a fight then I’ll give him one. He has woken up the beast in me. The Beast that I had spent so many times in the dark trying to keep at bay. He has crossed a line taking her from right under me. I won’t rest till I have her back in my arms, and his blood on my hands.
“Bray, let’s go. We have shit to set up.” I order. Even though he is the leader of the Reapers, he has given me the go ahead to take charge on this.
“Got it, brother.”
He picks up Lilly, carrying her in his arms. Her tiny frame is wrapped around him. I head straight to the clubhouse’s bar and grab a bottle of Jack. I need the burn of the liquor to numb the rage enough to focus on what needs to be done.
“Need a glass?” Miss Ginny asks concern lacing her voice.
“Not tonight.” Stalking into church, I crack open the bottle before taking a long pull. My eyes water as the amber liquid slides down the back of my throat leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Pulling out the photos, I go over them, again and again, watching the video, again and again,none of what I see. As I look at them do I see what Blue had told me of earlier. I know he wouldn’t have her out of the country yet so I need to act fast and try to find out where she is before he has a chance to move her. . Scrubbing my hands over my face I slam back more Jack, he’s doing nothing to quell the anxiousness swimming in my soul right now. Cracking out my knuckles I wait for the ding of the phone, but it is radio silence. I sit there turning it over in my hands waiting, hoping that I can get to Blue in time before the bastards steal what is left of her soul.
Closing my eyes, I rest my head down onto my hands, Angel, if you can hear me, please keep her safe till I get there. Please Angel, I’ll always love you till my last breath, but I love her more right now. I couldn’t save you from the hurt my hands had laid, but please, don’t let me fail her. Not this one, not this time.
As I throw back more Jack, I sense the brothers enter the room, Jamie falls beside me.
“What the fuck happened? Bro, we were just there,” his emotional voice hits home.
“No fucking shit! I failed again.” Slamming my fist into the table, I look around. “I fucked up. I let her down. I knew I shouldn’t have left, I know I should have made her come up here with me, but I didn’t and now look, so fucking much for being safe.” Pushing my heated body up from the table, and slam back the last of my Jack. I need out! Heading to the door, I kick it open with such force that it smashes into tiny little pieces as it hits the wall.
Gasps from the other members and club girls sound out around me, and I feel all their eyes on me. I don’t fucking care! The only thing I care about is finding Viper and ripping his heart out through his chest. Storming out to the night’s sky and falling to my knees I place my
head back, and like a lone wolf who’d just lost his mate, I scream up to the full moon.
Blue
I feel myself swimming to the top of the darkness. Running my fingers through my hair I try to feel where this intense throbbing, burning pain is coming from. Like what the actual fuck this hurts. Then reality sets in. Viper has me! I’ve been taken, fuck! I so wasn’t ready for it! DAMN, I knew he was coming, but shit, not this quick. So here I am tranquilized in this state of trepidation as anxiety falls from my body. How can I pull in from my beast, he had shattered last time? How will I pull from the terror to take him at his own game once again? He has me locked inside my own head as apprehension and fear wash out over me. Taking a deep breath in and holding it till I feel the dizzy rush swirl inside my head, I finally let it out. Now I can think.
Right, Blue pull on your big girl pants, I berate myself as I start making a plan, a plan to fucken prepare for war. Feeling into the mess of my bun, my fingers glide over the steel of my blade. Thank fuck that’s still in there. Opening my eyes, I try to look around past the dots of little lights behind my eyelids but I’m greeted to more darkness. Where am I? Pulling myself up I smack my head on something right above me. SHIT! Rubbing the top of my head with one hand and placing the other above me, I am greeted with cool steel licking my skin. Oh, great. I’m in a fucken boot of a car, awesome. Laying back down I allow my eyes to adjust to the dark and feel around for anything that I could use in a surprise attack. Now I feel the movements of driving, now I can feel the bumps and turns stopping and starting.
Where the fuck is he taking me? I must remember to keep my cool once we stop. Bite your tongue, Blue. What comes when you be a smart ass really isn’t worth the ten seconds of satisfaction you get from fulling his fire. The pain unleashed from his hands lasts a lot longer.
The car stops, after what only feels like a short distant, nowhere near as long as it would take to get to the airport from the other side of Brooklyn. I can hear hushed words and feet crunching on stones, my senses are on hyper alert. I feel the fear rising in me, I know what’s coming, a beating and a dose of Junkie love. It’s how he likes me, bleeding and drugged up to my eyeballs, dancing for their entertainment. But maybe this time he will be that mad at the way I cut and run in Dublin that he will make it quick and just hotshot me.
Just then the boot pops open and a hand reaches in pulling me up by my hair. The pain of my hair ripping out at the roots by this mug’s grasp, gets my blood boiling. Forgetting any notion of keeping my cool, I kick out. I fight with everything I have, trying to reach for his throat, all the while, screaming.
“Let me fucken go, you dickless prick! I’m going to rip your fucking throat out!”
He looks me deep into my eyes as he just stands there, laughing at me. “Try it sweetheart, and see what happens.”
Hate is coming off him in waves. Jeez, he either has something stuck firmly up his ass, or he needs a good lay. I have no idea who this guy is he looks like a monster, his features set in stone, his towering height and massive body engulfs my small frame. He has a chill about him that puts the shits up me as his pricing black eyes, peppered with red flecks, burn into me, I had never personally hurt him, so why was he so full of hate towards me? I expected that from Viper. Pushing myself out from his grip, I stumble on jelly-like legs. I have pins and needles in my feet from being cramped in a damn boot. Pain starts to shoot through my legs at the sudden rush of blood.
“Walk.” His voice is menacing as he viciously kicks the backs of my knees. I fall onto my bare hands and the sharp edges of gravel pierces my palms and kneecaps. Sucking in air, I blow it out long and slow. I need to control my breathing, as that in turn will help to clam my anger, I have been through worse pain than this. I need to remember that I am strong. I need to remain strong until Knox can get to me.
“I’d fucking watch yourself, muppet,” I snap over my shoulder.
“Say what? Little lady you speaking to me?” he questions his eyebrow raised mocking me.
“Yes.” I sneer looking him dead in his eyes. “I fucken am! Didn’t your mama teach you not to pick on girls? You big strong man you. With my lip curled and my eyebrow raised, I taunt him.
“She taught me a lot of things, but when it comes to bitches like you, it’s a different story.” Kicking me in the ribs, he takes the last of my breath out of my lungs. Gasping for air, I wrap a hand around my waist, trying to stop the pain.
“Oh, baby boy, I feel so honored that I was the one to make you forget your mama's words of wisdom and you? You're lucky I can take a kick.” Snapping up I spin round and ankleswipe the punk. Jumping down on his back as he falls to the dirt, a smile ripples over my lips as I grab his head in an across face armbar. Leaning down into his ear I hiss. “Kick me again, you son of a bitch, or even lay a finger on me and I’ll snap your fucking neck.”
Tightening my grip, I see his eyes bulge out while his lips are spitting for air. I feel what’s left of his air squeeze out of his windpipe under my forearm, I relish in the fact that I showed this punk. I feel him going out under my grip, but before I can gain satisfaction in his passing out, I’m hit from behind. Stars form, the world twists and spins around me in a whirl of darkness.
A shaft of light pierces through the window hitting me fair in the eyes. Squeezing them shut tighter and pulling my head to the side, I try to raise my hands over the intense pain that is sitting at the base of my skull. What the hell! My hands don’t move and I realize they are tied firmly behind my back. Snapping my eyes open I scan the area I’m in. Looking down I can see that I’m tied to a chair; my ankles are also tied. The sun is filtering in streams through this cold, empty room spraying the smallest glimmer of light for me to see where I am. As I bring my head to the left, that’s when I see him; my heart jumps into my throat.
“Well, well look who’s awake! Hello, junkie love.”
His voice instantly makes the bile rise in my stomach. Not wanting to let him see me waver in my ‘I got big balls’ act. I seductively whisper right into his evil eyes, “Fuck you, Cock breath.” I attempt to flick my hair over my shoulder in a sassy as hell movement but failed, the pain in my head intensifying.
“Always a pleasure to see you too, sweetheart,” he spits into my face.
“I ain’t your fucken sweetheart. I didn’t even realize you batted for my team there, baby boy! Word is you like the boys.” I say with a smirk towards him as he grabs my face tight in his hands, squeezing in my cheeks.
“You don’t get to be the feisty ungrateful bitch any more, junkie love. I’ve got you. So it's checkmate. Your little boys will be on a wild goose chase looking for your ass, so sit tight buttercup and let the games begin.”
Leaning down into me, his nose touching mine, he brings his lips to mine, forcing my head back in disgust. Slamming my lips hard shut I try not to let his slippery snake’s tongue anywhere near mine. His grip moves to tighten around the back of my neck, pulling my head back further. His tongue breaks through the barrier. And repluseive bile rises up from the depths of my stomach, chills break out over my body as my body gags at the horried taste of stale smoke and beer. Doing the only thing I know would break his grip and invasion, I bite down hard onto his tongue, feeling a slice of horrified satisfaction as the flesh pops under my grip, and the warm crimson liquid with the deep metallic taste hits the back of my teeth. He pulls back fast rising his hand to his mouth, his eyes are on fire. Sitting back in the chair, feeling his blood in my mouth, I wish I could wipe my hand across my mouth right now, all boss like.
“You fucken little bitch.” He screeches. Spitting out blood, he backhands me right across the cheek. The sting of it bringing a bigger smile to my face, I smile and spit his blood back at him.
“Nice to fucking see you too, buttercup, let the games begin.” I spit his own words back at him. He wiped his finger over the blood soaking his lips with a shocked look on his face. “I’m stronger now, asshole, so bring it.” I continue. There was no way I was g
oing to let this fucker realize how much he haunted me. I would go down the same way I always went down, fighting.
My tone is laced with a fake bravery as he leans into me. I can smell the blood mixed with smoke and beer, it sends a new wave of nausea over me as he grits outs through clenched teeth
“Oooh, junkie love, I intended to.”
Turning on his heel, he leaves through the heavy steel door. A smirk comes over my lips as I listen for the tell-tale key in a lock.
CLICK!
“Mint, there it is! Locking me in, sweet baby, not like I can go anywhere. I’m tied to a goddamn chair mother fucker!” I yell out after him as I allow my head to roll back against the back of the chair, shimmying down a little so I can lay my head against the back. Shutting my eyes, I go over what to do next. I start thinking about how irate Knox will be right now and I try to figure out how long I have been gone. It could have been hours or even days, shit, I don’t even know.
Knox
Sitting on a bench in the back of the clubhouse, watching the phone, waiting for it to make just the smallest sound, to flash any light, is fucken torture. Grabbing my hair, ripping small strands out of the elastic band that holds it in a tight bun at the top off my head, I try to quell the images running through my mind. Images of what that maniac was doing to my Blue.
“FUCK,” I scream “FUCK!.”
Over and over again I scream it, till my throat is rasped raw. Spinning around at the sound of footsteps on the dew-crusted grass, I still.
“Just me, brother.” Jamie says, letting out the breath I was holding and looking up at him, I show him what is in my soul.
“Brother, I can’t lose her, not this one, not this time.” Seeing the worry form in my best friend’s eyes, I know how close I am to losing it. He sits down next to me pulling two beers from his jacket. He places one in my hands then places his other hand on my shoulder.
Fractured Promises (Reapers Reign, #2) Page 17