Marked Skulls MC Series: Books 1-5

by Rylan, Savannah

  He looked up at me when I returned this time.

  “What’s on the menu?” he asked in a cheerful voice as I put the tray down. I told him, just as cheerfully. It was amazing how he could still be in a relatively good mood. Despite what was happening to him.

  He was a strong and brave man, and I wished that Amanda could have a father figure like him in her life. I blushed at that thought as I started to feed him.

  “I know you don’t like to talk much, but here’s a question for you. What are you doing here, Harley?”

  He’d stumped me. I wasn’t expecting that from him. I didn’t meet his eyes and continued to feed him instead.

  “Should I take it as a -no comment?” he said and I looked down to the floor to avoid looking at him.

  “Look, I know you have no reason to trust me, but maybe eventually you will? I don’t want to hurt you in any way, Harley. You just seem like you need help. This is the last place on Earth you should be.”

  Didn’t I know that already!

  I smiled weakly at him.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked and he arched his brows.

  He let out a laugh.

  “Well?” I asked, giving him a sip of water.

  “I belong to a rival MC. These guys want something from my club and because they’re pussies and know they’ll get their panties torn in an actual fight—they decided to kidnap and imprison me instead, and use me as leverage,” he said.

  I gulped. It sounded serious, even though Dash was trying to be light hearted about it.

  “Do you think your club is going to come for you?” I asked.

  Dash took in a deep breath.

  “My brothers are the kind of people who would do anything for their own. Even if they have to give up their territory for it. That is what I’m most afraid of,” he replied.

  I gulped. I didn’t know what that felt like, to have that kind of loyalty. To know that there were a group of people out there who had my back. Who were doing everything they could to rescue me.

  I looked away from him and he might have noticed the sadness in my eyes.

  “I don’t want to push you to say anything you don’t want to say. You’re doing the right thing by not trusting me. You shouldn’t be trusting anyone in here.”

  For some reason, I did trust him. I didn’t know how to explain it, and neither was I willing to admit it to him. Maybe I trusted him because there was nobody else who looked at me like that. Like I was worth anything.

  Dash finished eating the sandwich and the water and I stood up to leave.

  “You visiting me here is the only silver lining in all this. I look forward to seeing you again every time you leave,” he said.

  I could feel electric currents shooting up and down my spine. Why was I feeling this way? Like there were butterflies in my stomach.

  “I’ll be back with your dinner soon,” was all I could say to him. Then I left.

  * * *

  I was supposed to leave for my shift at the bar soon, but before I left, I wanted to take Dash his meal for the night. The men were all out there, drinking again, fighting and playing pool. It was the same story every night. They disgusted me.

  I was in the kitchen, cooking for all of them. But the only thing keeping me going was the knowledge that some of it was going to be eaten by Dash.

  I bit down on my lip as I thought about him. Those brown eyes, those chiseled jaws. Did he really like me or was it an act? How could I trust him when I didn’t know anything about him?

  “Smells nice!” I heard Caesar’s voice behind me and I froze up. I hadn’t heard him come in. He had a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other and he walked over to me, swaying a little on his feet already.

  Before I could move away from me, he had an arm around my waist and he smacked my butt hard. I nearly toppled over but he was holding me close to himself, keeping me pinned to his chest.

  “Watcha cookin’ hotstuff?” he snarled in my ear. The stench of his mouth was sickening. He felt cold against my body and I could feel his cock moving in his pants.

  “Chicken,” I replied.

  “Chicken.” He repeated, trying to mimic my voice and he nibbled at my earlobe.

  I knew what I should have done. Merely ignored him or stood there and dealt with his behavior, but instead, I tried to push him away.

  It was a hard push, enough to make Caesar stoop backwards. I knew it the moment I did it that there were going to be consequences.

  “Who the fuck do you think you are?” he growled and he came at me.

  I squealed as he slapped me across my face. He hit me with so much force that I landed with a thud against one of the counters. The edge caught my forehead, slicing it open. I could feel blood dripping from the wound before I’d managed to even straighten up.

  “You think you’re too good for me?” he hissed, coming up to me again. I cried out as he caught the collar of my denim jacket and scooped me up.

  “Have you forgotten who you are, bitch?”

  I could say nothing. I just kept my eyes down, my body shaking in fear.

  “I own you. This MC owns you. As long as you want that kid to live with you, you will do what I say.”

  He released me and I tumbled down to the floor. My eyes were filled up with tears but I couldn’t cry. I couldn’t show him my weakness.

  “Clean yourself up before you start dripping on the floor. Then go give that dog his food before he dies on us!”

  Caesar took a swig of his drink and then swaying on his feet again, he turned and walked out of the kitchen.

  I covered my face with my hands and wept as I sat there on the floor. How was I ever going to get out of this? What could I do to take Amanda out of danger? As long as I was associated with this club, our lives were always going to be on the line. Where could we go? Who could I turn to for help?

  I had no family. I had no friends. I had nobody.

  I went to the bathroom, which I tried to keep clean as much as possible but it still stank and was dirty. I always kept a small first aid kit for myself in one of the cupboards because I needed it often.

  I washed my face and dried it with a paper towel. The wound on my forehead wasn’t anything serious. Nothing a band-aid couldn’t solve. At least it stopped bleeding.

  Then I returned to the kitchen. There was chicken and some rice and fries. I hoped Dash liked the meal, and the thought brought a smile to my lips again. What happened with Caesar was normal for me. I would forget about it in a few hours and move on.

  As long as Amanda was safe, nothing else mattered.

  I went to the cellar because Dash was the perfect distraction.

  * * *

  I didn’t know why I was so relieved to see Dash again. He smiled at me when Carlos let me in.

  “Smells great. You spoil me!” he said and I couldn’t help but grin. His good spirit was infectious. I put the tray down and got ready to sit down on the floor with him but Dash crossed his brows.

  “What is that?” he growled. He was looking at the band aid on my forehead and there was a darkness in his eyes now.

  “How did you get that?” he insisted and I sat down.

  “There’s chicken and rice tonight,” I said, trying to change the subject but he was glaring at me now. I saw him pull his hands, trying to tug away from the pipe. It ached my heart to see a man like him locked up.

  “Who did this to you? Give me the name?” he growled.

  “Nothing happened.”

  “I can see something did!”

  “We don’t need to talk about it.”

  “I want to know what happened!” His shoulders were heaving and he was staring at me from under his heavy lids. I gulped and twisted my fingers together on my lap.

  “Caesar,” I said.

  A look of realization passed over his eyes. He clenched his jaws.

  “Why?”

  “It’s not important.”

  “Tell me why!”

  “He was
throwing himself at me. Trying to feel me up and I protested,” I replied in a meek voice.

  “Motherfucker!” he growled and tugged his hand again and it made a clanking sound.

  “Dash, please! I don’t want them to come in here right now,” I said in a whisper and he seemed to calm himself down.

  “Why are you still here, Harley? Why don’t you go away? Why do you let him do this to you?”

  Dash was searching my eyes. I could barely look at him. Could I trust him with my story? I hadn’t spoken about it with anyone.

  “Because I have a daughter. She’s seven years old. Her name is Amanda,” I said.

  Dash fell silent. He looked confused for a second.

  “Okay, but why are you still here?”

  “Because Caesar and the rest of the club know about her and use her to keep me here. They say that if I disobey them or try to run away, they’ll take her away from me.”

  Dash was gritting his teeth with anger.

  “She’s his. Caesar’s. I was young and foolish and fell for him a long time ago. When I didn’t know any better. He never wanted her. He’s seen her twice in his life. He doesn’t care about her. I know if he gets his hands on her he’ll hurt her.”

  The tears were bubbling up now and I couldn’t control them anymore. I had tried to be strong and silent for so long, but now, as I spoke to Dash—I felt like I couldn’t be either anymore.

  “They’ll hurt her if I do anything. I can’t leave. I can never leave. I love my daughter too much,” I said while I wept.

  * * *

  I gathered myself quickly because of the way Dash was looking at me. He was looking at me like he wanted to kiss me. And I wanted to kiss him. I was tempted to reach for him, for his face, feel the roughness of his stubbled cheeks, his lips underneath my fingertips.

  I couldn’t remember the last time a man had ignited feelings such as these in me. He was more than just a hot guy, he was someone I could rely on. But why? Why was I feeling that way?

  I rubbed the tears off my face and spooned some food and held it out to him.

  “You should eat because I have to leave soon. Carlos times me outside,” I said in a weak voice.

  Dash ate the food, but he kept his eyes focused on me.

  “How long has this been going on?” he asked in a growl. I scooped some more food and held it out to him.

  “Harley! Talk to me!”

  “Since Amanda’s birth. For the past seven years. But he never treated me right, not even in the beginning. I was foolish. I left home because I wanted independence and I thought Caesar would give it to me,” I replied.

  He ate in silence for some time after that. I gave him the water which he drank as well, and the whole time, his dark eyes remained on me. He was watching my every move.

  “You deserve more than this, Harley. Much more. I want you to never forget that.”

  I collected the tray and the plastic cup and stood up.

  “You’re very kind to me, Dash, thank you,” I whispered and tucked some hair behind my ear.

  “I want to be more than just kind to you, Harley. I want to find a way to take you away from this place. Get you out of his control,” he said.

  He was serious. His face was as dark as a thunderstorm and he had his jaws clenched.

  I smiled weakly at him and nodded.

  “I mean it, Harley. I’m going to find a way to get you out,” he continued and I nodded again.

  “I’ll see you in the morning,” I whispered and I made my way to the door. Before I knocked I looked over my shoulder at him. He was staring at me, watching me leave and my heart ached. I didn’t want to imagine how he was suffering. How he was hurting. How much pain he was in. He needed medical attention, he needed to get those wounds looked at.

  Carlos opened up and I stepped out.

  “Does he say anything to you?” he asked me as I was walking away.

  “No,” I lied and he rolled his eyes. Maybe he believed me or maybe he didn’t.

  I walked back to the kitchen and washed up the tray. Dash wanted to take me away from here but I knew that wouldn’t be possible. That would never happen. For as long as I lived, I would remain a slave to Caesar and his friends.

  11

  Dash

  Dash

  My head was wrecked with what Harley told me. I hated Caesar for the scum that he was. How could he treat a woman like that? A woman like Harley. How could he abandon his own child? Use her as a tool to keep Harley under his boot?

  I was seething with rage, yanking at the handcuffs and the pipe.

  It mustn’t have been more than a few minutes after Harley was gone that the door opened again. I looked up thinking she was back but I was kidding myself.

  Two Hell’s Drifters guys strode in, headed directly towards me. One of them took out a gun, while the other went for my handcuffs.

  “Easy there, boys. Aren’t you going to buy me a drink first?” I said with a laugh but they ignored me.

  The guy with the gun was pointing it at my head.

  “Don’t even think about making a fucking move!” he growled. The other one was freeing me of my cuffs. When they finally came off and my wrists were free, it felt good. My hands could breathe again.

  “You know I wouldn’t be anywhere other than here, in the company of such fine men!” I retorted with a laugh and the two of them hauled me up together.

  “Keep your hands where I can fucking see them!” the guy with the gun said. I stretched my hands up, just to pacify them and he poked his gun on my back.

  “Start walking.”

  “Where are we going? Somewhere magical I hope.”

  “Walk!” he growled again and I took a step. It was the first step I’d taken in days, but it felt like years. My legs were like jello.

  I had no idea where they were taking me. They could be leading me to my death for all I knew.

  They walked me out of the room and I saw the guard, Carlos, waiting there with a gun of his own.

  “We’re going for a ride,” he chuckled while he chewed a piece of gum. I smiled at him like he’d just said a joke. We walked down the hallway, with the three of them fast on my heels.

  Then I saw Harley. She came rushing out of a room and stood at a door, pasting herself to the wall as we were walking by. I caught her eye and I winked, but she looked worried. Maybe she thought I was going to die too. I thought I saw the glint of a tear in her eye.

  They led me out of the place, what looked like a bar or a clubhouse or something and there was a van parked outside. It had black tinted windows. These guys definitely didn’t want me to know the location of this place.

  “Get in!” one of the guys said and I did what I was told. I jumped into the back and the guy with the gun followed me in and slammed the door shut.

  “So, it’s just you and me in here,” I said to him and he glared at me with anger.

  “Just shut the fuck up!”

  It made me laugh. There was so much anger in them, even though they were the ones who’d kidnapped me.

  As the van started up I heard the roar of motorcycles revving up too. It meant that wherever we were going, we were all going together. It was unlikely they were taking me somewhere else to kill me. Much less kill me as a group. So maybe I wasn’t dying today after all.

  I was about to say something more but the guy produced a black cloth bag and dumped it over my head so I couldn’t see. Like the tinted windows weren’t enough.

  “Fine. I’ll just go to sleep in here then,” I said and he grunted.

  We were driving for some time and I tried to keep a mental note of all the turns the van was taking. We could have been driving for close to twenty minutes before it seemed like the van was pulling up somewhere.

  We stopped and then I heard voices outside. It seemed like a screaming match going on. And then I heard a voice that I recognized immediately. It was Oz.

  I tried to stay still and quiet so I could listen to what was being said. F
rom my guess, from all the back and forth going on outside, a few of my brothers were here. Oz hadn’t come alone. But I could barely hear what was being said. Were they negotiating some sort of deal?

  I wanted to jump up and get out of the van and tell them to stop. I didn’t want Oz negotiating anything with these motherfuckers.

  But there was a gun pointed at my head now, I could feel the barrel on my skull. Even if I managed to escape the van, I wasn’t going very far. I was sure the Marked Skulls were outnumbered right now.

  They were talking demands. I heard words like ‘complete shut down’. Did the Hell’s Drifters and Dark Legion expect my MC to completely shut down? Because they had me in their possession?

  I hoped Oz and Lewis weren’t stupid enough to agree to something like that. I was going to find my own way out of here. I had to clench my jaw to stop me from growling out in rage. I needed to do something to interrupt this. But what?

  ‘No patching into another club’, were some more words that I heard. I recognized that voice to be Caesar’s. What they wanted was complete annihilation of the Marked Skulls.

  ‘Give us your Cuban contacts. We want to take over that contract’.

  Every word I heard was setting me on fire. I wanted to rip someone’s eyeballs out. Never. We were never going to agree to that. I hoped Oz or Lewis didn’t agree to something as fucked up as that.

  “Nothing without proof!”

  Oz’s voice came through clean and clear to me. He wanted to see me. They weren’t going to agree to anything without seeing me first. There was a loud thud on the van door.

  The guy with the gun who had been guarding me grabbed my shoulders and I felt the handcuffs come back on my wrist again. They pierced my swollen and wounded wrists and I gritted my teeth in pain. I still couldn’t see anything, the hood covered everything in blackness.

  And then moments later, we were jumping off the back of the van.

  I could smell the night breeze. I hadn’t been outside in how long? Days? Weeks? Thankfully they had started feeding me now and giving me water. At least I could stand my own two feet and I still had all my organs and limbs.