Marked Skulls MC Series: Books 1-5

by Rylan, Savannah

  “No!” I shrieked and tried to stop him, by punching my fists into his back but the men around me pulled me back and settled me down between them again.

  “You just sit tight, sweetheart, let the big men take care of business,” the one who was talking to me earlier, said. I thought of Girth and what he was going to do to them when he caught up with us.

  “He’s going to kill you,” I hissed at him, but he only laughed at that.

  16

  Girth

  I could hear the blood rushing into my ears when I jumped on my bike. I was smoking my third cigarette on the porch, finally sitting down on the chair beside Lila’s front door, when I heard her scream.

  The cigarette fell from my hand and I pulled my gun out of my belt and ran into the house. Her screams were becoming fainter as I approached her room and when I kicked it open, I saw that her bed was empty. The sheets were crumbled and strewn while the open window beside her bed mocked me.

  “Fuck!” I growled and ran to it, to see a muscle car at the back starting up. I jumped out of the window and took a shot at its tires just as it screeched to a start and swerved.

  I could see Lila’s silhouette in the backseat, between three other heads and I cursed again.

  Growling with rage, I ran to my bike and jumped on it, kickstarting it in one motion. The car wasn’t far ahead of me, but keeping up with it was going to be a task. The driver was clearly good at getting rid of a tail. The closer I got to the car, the quicker it swerved and turned away from me.

  I wasn’t close enough to the car to see Lila’s silhouette anymore, but I knew she was in there with them. It made me sick to think about what they could be doing to her, saying to her. Were they touching her? How scared was she?

  I was riding my bike as fast as I could. I couldn’t go any faster.

  I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of the window. I’d been distracted by Lila, by my desire for her and I didn’t do my job well. I should have been alert, I should have looked for the signs. I should have kept the windows locked and most importantly, I should have been surveying the property constantly to make sure that there were no blind spots. Instead, I had been in bed with the woman whose safety was my number one priority and now she’d been kidnapped.

  I could feel the flesh on the palms of my hands digging into the bike’s accelerator. I was growling under my breath, blaming myself. This was all my fault. I shouldn’t have fallen for the temptation that was Lila. I should have been a stronger man.

  I was trying hard to catch up with the car, firing shots at them when I could, but it was difficult and I was alone. I did what I knew had to be done, as difficult as it was to admit it. I called for backup.

  Abe answered his phone and sensed immediately that something was wrong.

  “They fucking have Lila,” I growled into the phone.

  “How? What the Fuck? Where were you?” Abe thundered into the phone.

  “I was on the porch. She was in her room with a window open. It was a blind spot and I didn’t see it. This is my fucking fault!” I was thundering into the phone too.

  I could sense Abe running, he was probably running to jump on his bike; even though he didn’t know where to go.

  “Where is she now? Did you see them take her?” Abe asked. I had to clench my jaws to stop myself from growling again. This wasn’t the time for self deprecation. There would be enough time for that once I rescued her.

  “She’s in front of me, in a car,” I said and I called out the license plate number. I didn’t know where I was or where I was following them to. I was new to Orlando and not familiar with the city’s layout—another thing I should have taken care of the moment I got to this place. Another thing I had been distracted from when I met Lila.

  “Describe the road to me. I’m sending the men out right now. Which direction are you headed?” Abe was shouting in the phone.

  I told him as best as I could. The call ended quickly and I accelerated the bike again, the car ahead of me was turning off the road now and I realized that we were going to stop soon.

  We had turned off the road and I had caught up close with the car now. Close enough to see the back of Lila’s head. She was tightly wedged in between three other heads still and a chill ran down my spine. Were they touching her now? Holding her? Were her wrists tied? I could have choked those men with my bare hands if I got the chance to.

  We were coming to a stop in front of an abandoned looking warehouse. When I looked around me, I saw that we were in the middle of nowhere. How were Abe and the rest of the Marked Skulls ever going to find us here?

  I jumped off my bike, pulling my gun out again and ready for a shootout.

  The front door of the car opened and then the back door too and five big men poured out.

  This was going to be a quick shootout. Five men versus me. They were going to shoot me dead within seconds. Even though I had my gun pointed in their direction, none of them had taken a shot yet. My finger was on the trigger, ready to be pulled at a split-second’s notice. I knew that if I took the first shot at one of them, the other four would kill me within seconds.

  I needed to wait and bide my time to see what they had planned for us. If I was dead, there was going to be no hope for Lila’s survival either.

  17

  Lila

  I saw the men loading their guns before they jumped out of the car, all five of them. I tried to escape, making a move for the lock on one of the doors, but the men held me back again while I kicked and screamed to be let go.

  The guy who was holding me close to himself, made sure that I didn’t escape before he locked all the doors shut when they got out the car. None of my struggles had made any difference to them. I was no match for these five hulking men.

  I screamed and tried to wriggle free from his grasp, but in the next second, all the doors were shut and I was trapped inside the car. Even though I knew there would be no point to it, I slammed my palms against the windows, thudding against it in the hopes that one of the doors would give way.

  I could hear my sharp breathing, I could feel the dried up tears on my cheeks. That throbbing ache at the back of my head had become stronger and I was suddenly feeling very cold.

  I gave up after a few minutes. There was no escape. I was trapped in the car.

  Looking through the back window of the car, I could now see Girth approaching the five men who were standing in front of him in a row. I stared at him, relieved to some extent just to see him.

  He looked strong and muscular, hovering tall as he stood in an attack stance, with his gun pointed at the men. However, no matter how strong and brave he was, no matter how much bigger he was than the other five; he was human and just one man against five others. I felt sick at the thought of what they could do to him. They could take him down with just a few bullets. They were going to kill Girth.

  I screamed at the top of my lungs, and even though my voice was muffled by the car, I knew Girth had heard me. His eyes twitched and I thought I saw a tremble in his fingers as he held his gun. But he was concentrating, he hadn’t turned to look at me. He was focused on the men.

  All I wanted was for both of us to survive this.

  I could hear the five men laughing, stroking their beards and pleased with the situation that Girth and I now found ourselves in. I could sense that they were making fun of his tall height and I cursed under my breath. They had no idea how strong he was.

  Behind us was an abandoned warehouse, where I assumed they were going to hold me captive after they had done away with Girth.

  I was shivering and cold, I could feel the sickness in the pit of my stomach. I was stuck in this car and I was going to have to watch Girth die in front of my eyes. They were going to shoot him and kill him and he was going to lie bleeding there on the ground while they dragged me away and locked me up in the warehouse.

  My heart was racing, I was sweating and cold at the same time. I was going to lose Girth forever, if I had any kind of life
left for myself.

  While I stared at Girth, I heard a shot that startled me. For a second I thought it was Girth who’d been shot, but then I saw one of the five men stumble and fall to the ground. Girth had killed him. In the next second, the men started firing at him and he ducked, then started running back towards his bike.

  I hadn’t even realized that I was screaming. My screams filled the car now and I screeched till the back of my throat chaffed and I couldn’t scream anymore.

  I could see Girth jump on his bike. He was still alive. There were too many shots being exchanged for me to know who was being hit and who wasn’t. I rammed my hands against the windows again. Could I break through? Maybe I could crack the glass, and then what?

  Girth was riding his bike now. Taking shots at the four remaining men while he rode. Even though he was at somewhat of an advantage now, on his bike, he had to have been hit. He couldn’t come out of this unscathed.

  I watched as he started circling the group of men who now stood huddled together. There were loud screaming voices. They were cursing him, shouting at him and I could see some of the guys bleeding. Girth must have been shot too, he must have been bleeding too but he was still riding his bike, circling around them and shooting at them.

  It was difficult for the men to aim at him because he was riding too fast for them, sending them in a tizzy round and round for them to take a shot at him.

  “Girth!” I screamed his name even though I knew he couldn’t hear me. I was smiling now, out of nervousness. There was still some hope! He might be able to take all of them out. Maybe his injuries weren’t life threatening.

  The roar of another bike alarmed me and I looked up in the distance. There was a dust cloud being kicked up and through it, I saw a group of bikes emerge.

  I recognized Rodeo’s bike immediately, I’d worked on its maintenance myself! I laughed out loud, unable to control myself. The Marked Skulls were here! They’d found us! Perhaps Girth had alerted them when he was chasing behind the car.

  We were going to be okay, they were going to outnumber the remaining four men, all of whom were injured and bleeding by now. Now, the only thing I wished for was that Girth wasn’t fatally injured himself.

  18

  Girth

  The Marked Skulls arrived behind me just when one of the bullets grazed my arm and I felt a searing burning pain in my flesh. I staggered and lost control of my bike, falling sideways on the dusty ground.

  While my face remained pressed to the ground and I could feel my limbs aching with fury, I sensed the Marked Skulls bikes rage around me and ride towards the four men who were still standing.

  I jumped up off the ground, straightening my bike and still covered in dust, I ran through the bullets being fired towards the car where Lila was.

  I could see the fear in her eyes and I knew she was screaming inside, but all I heard was her muffled voice. I tried some of the doors but they were all locked.

  Using my elbow I shattered the window that was farthest from her in the front and I sensed some of the shards pierce through my jacket and shirt and lodge into my skin.

  “Lila!” I screamed her name as she stumbled on to the front seat of the car.

  “Girth! Oh my God! You’re okay!” she shrieked and I reached for the lock on the door.

  She lunged at me, just when I managed to get the door open. Her hair was ruffled and matted to her face, while her clothes looked dirty and torn in places. I could see that they had handled her roughly and she had fought back.

  “Let’s get out of here,” I whispered in her ear as she clung on to me, refusing to let go.

  “Oh my God, Girth! You’ve been shot and you’re bruised,” she cried as her eyes roamed all over me, drinking in the spots I was bleeding from and the gash on my arm where the bullet had grazed me.

  “I’m fine. I can still ride my bike. Let’s get you out of here,” I said, and using as much force I still had in my limbs, I pulled her out of the car.

  “Girth,” she mumbled softly as I strung her over my arms and holding her tightly I swerved around the bullets as I ran towards my abandoned bike.

  She was shivering and shuddering in my arms as I sat her down on it.

  “Lila! Lila, look at me!” I said, and pressed her cheeks with both my hands, hoping that she wasn’t going to pass out. She was crying, her makeup was streaked on her face but when she heard my voice, she clamped her mouth shut and her blue eyes widened and she stared at me.

  I was relieved that she was okay, that they hadn’t hurt her like I thought they would.

  “Point to the man who touched you, who do you want me to kill?” I was hissing as I spoke. I knew that this wasn’t the time for vengeance but I needed to do it, for my own sanity.

  Through the bullets that were being fired, Lila pointed at a man with a bald head and a long brown beard.

  “Stay here,” I growled at her and then turning from her, I walked straight up to the guy. He was on the ground on his back. He’d been shot multiple times already by the Marked Skulls but he was still alive. He was bleeding from his arms and from the base of his groin.

  “You should have fucking kept your hands off her you motherfucker!” I raged and with my eyes bloodshot and streaming with anger, I took my fist right to his jaw and his face was thrust sideways.

  “This is how you die,” I growled and straightened up again, before I took my gun out.

  “No. No!” he managed to slur just when I shot my bullet straight into his heart. His voice died down immediately and I turned from him. He was going to die anyway.

  I caught Rodeo’s eye, who was now kicking one of the other guys on the ground and I tipped my head. He did the same and I ran back to the bike where Lila was sitting.

  She was crying still. She’d seen me kill that man.

  Even though I knew that I should have ridden her back to her house immediately, I wanted to hold her first.

  I pulled her into my arms and stroked her hair. The scent of her was familiar and comforting and she shuddered in my arms.

  “I’m going to take you home now, you’re going to be fine,” I said and then releasing her, I slipped my leather jacket off of me and placed it around her shoulders. She sniffled and tugged it closer around herself and stared at me with her wide blue eyes and her tear-streaked cheeks.

  “Are you fine, Girth? You don’t look fine,” she said, in a small voice. I hadn’t even begun to sense where I was hurting and aching. It was like none of the gunshots and the bruises mattered anymore, now that Lila was alive and she was in my arms again.

  “We should get going,” I mumbled and sat down in front of her. I felt Lila wrap her arms around my waist and press her cheek to my back. My heart was racing again, to have her this close to me. I thought I was going to lose her. I thought I was going to die before I had the chance to bring her to safety.

  We rode together towards her house, both of us bruised, bleeding and in pain. The cool breeze against my face was a relief but my body was burning up. She was touching me, she was sitting safely behind me on my bike and for a moment, I felt a desperate urge to just ride away from this place. To take her away from Orlando to New York or wherever it was that she wanted to go.

  In that moment I knew that I would have done anything for her, but first she needed to clean up and rest.

  19

  Lila

  Girth was standing outside my bathroom door, while I sank into the warm soapy water of my bathtub. This was the first thing I did when he brought me back to my house. He had insisted on it, even though he was the one with all the bruises and the blood.

  I had been cold and shivering when I first came into the house, with Girth’s leather jacket still on my shoulders. He’d marched me straight into the bathroom, and even though I tried to fight it, and claimed that I didn’t need a bath right now, Girth ran me one and he didn’t say a word.

  I wanted him to hold me again. I wanted him to talk to me about everything that had just happened,
but instead, he was behaving like he had a job to do.

  I waited a few minutes before I called out to him now. If not anything else, I needed to thank him at least for saving my life.

  “Girth!” my voice sounded shrill and weak at the same time, and I couldn’t even recognize it as my own. He bobbed his head around the door and kept his eyes averted from me. He had seen me naked already, several times over. He’d been inside me, and yet, he was shy to look at me.

  “Please come in, I don’t want to be by myself right now,” I told him.

  He hesitated before he came into the bathroom, and even then, he remained near the door.

  “Girth, I want you to clean yourself up. Please, do it for me. I can’t see you like this,” I was pleading with him, and I knew that he wouldn’t refuse.

  He walked slowly over to the mirror in the bathroom, and I watched him looking at his reflection. My hands were lapping at the bubbles in the bath. My breasts and most of my body remained under water, and Girth was right, it was making me feel better, calmer.

  We were quiet after that, and I watched him pull his t-shirt up and over his head so that he could examine the wound on his arm. It looked like a deep gash, and I tried not to gasp when I saw it. I remained silent, I didn’t want to nag him. I was sure that he knew what he was doing.

  “There’s a first-aid kit in the medicine cabinet,” was all I told him. He looked at me through the mirror, and then, just like he was following orders; he opened the cabinet and pulled out the stuff that he would need.

  I remained submerged in the bath as I watched him working away at himself. He dabbed antiseptic at his wounds, cleaned away the blood from his wounds and bruises and clenched and unclenched his fists when I knew that he was in pain. I gulped, my throat had gone dry as I watched his ripped muscular torso.