“What do you think he did? I can see it on your face. You think we’re missing something.”
“He framed Kyle, raped and beat Michelle, killed Trick’s family. There’s a lot we don’t know, but we never figured out who attacked Jenna in the woods and I think it was Max. I think he did this shit.”
Slasher, Dmitri, Trick and I all share a look. Max has done a lot of shit, and none of us are dismissing Dmitri’s suspicion. Honestly, it would make sense if he was behind Jenna’s attack too. I remember that day like it was just yesterday, the way that she came out of her car, staggering back and forth. She was distraught, and hurt beyond belief. Somehow she managed to get back to the club with her two dogs. Those two dogs who I’ve spotted lounging around Russian Manor on the nicest dog beds money can buy. Right before we left to come here, I saw Pip playing with them in her room.
“It wouldn’t shock me if he was behind this too.” Trick says.
“Who else would do something like this?” Slasher asks, looking to Dmitri.
“There was only one other person I thought could be behind it.” Dmitri states, taking in a breath. “Jenna’s biological father was a vile man.” The way he says it makes me feel like he’s keeping something from us.
“What aren’t you saying?” I’m the one who musters up the courage to ask him.
From the look he’s giving me, he doesn’t want to say. “It’s not my secret to tell. If she wants to tell you all, she will. I never thought things added up back then, but I really think they do now. Max was giving the club terror for many years. Wouldn’t shock me if he was behind what happened to Jenna.”
“Well, what’re we still doing here? Let’s throw him in the back of the truck and find out.” That’s exactly what we do. We all load him into the back of the truck and get in our bikes or vehicles. Reed texted us the address to meet him at and we’re all on our way – eagerly awaiting the answers and vengeance that we’ve all wanted for so long.
31
“Deep vengeance is the daughter of deep silence.”
-Vittorio Alfieri
Enzo
I’m starting to think that Purgatory has a big thing when it comes to abandoned warehouses, or even refurbished ones. I’ve been to their main location with Reed once, and it almost looks exactly the same from the outside. What I mean by that is, it doesn’t look like much, but when you walk into Purgatory it’s completely renovated. Essentially, it’s nice as shit. Obviously, this joint isn’t renovated. It looks like an abandoned warehouse.
The windows are broken, and half of the panes are hanging off or have fallen on the floor below. The place looks completely deserted. I’m sure there was a time where it might’ve had some sort of wood floor or even carpet, but now the concrete platform is cracked in various places. Not only is it cracked, but there are stains of various colors. The hues vary from vibrant neon’s to dark faded colors, however, there is a spot in the middle of the room with a flash of crimson red. It doesn’t appear to be too old, but now I see why Darius told Reed we could do whatever we needed to here.
Large iron beams come down from the ceiling in a few points to support the higher levels. There’s a rickety stairwell off to my right that leads up to another floor, but just from looking at it I don’t want to attempt walking up them. They have deteriorated so much that I feel they’ll cave in under my weight.
Gianni finishes backing the truck up against a loading dock and hops out the side. He gets on the platform and walks behind, unlatches the back and opens the door, exposing Max. Max is on the floor of the truck, still passed out. “Is he still asleep?” Reed asks, peering inside the back.
Gianni snickers, “Sure as fuck looks that way. I’ve got some fun ways of bringing him back to the land of the living.” Out of everyone in my family, Gianni is by far the most fucked up. When it comes to his hits, he’s always preferred a little fun when he’s on a job. Sal and Stefano on the other hand, are very similar. Those two just want to get the job done as quickly as possible. They don’t take pleasure in doing what they do. Gianni, though . . . the fucker thrives in it.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got a handful of tools in here.” Dmitri tosses a black duffel bag on the ground in front of a storage container in the middle of the room. It’s right around the bloodstained area.
Looking over the storage container, I see some sort of carpet like material on the inside, covered in a plastic wrap. There are numerous chains hanging down from the ceiling of the container and from the look on Kyle’s face, he’s imagining many different ways to torture Max.
Reed waves his hand, signaling a couple of men to go into the back of the freezer truck and grab Max. Slasher and Chaos are the two who go into get him, each grabbing one of his arms, they drag him across the concrete floor and toss him in the container.
The group of us follows closely behind them and right as we approach. Slasher begins to talk, “Want us to hook him up to the chains?”
Reed shakes his head from side to side, speaking in an anger filled tone. “No. There’s no point. He won’t be getting out of this, and I’m itching for him to try and run. It’ll just make whatever we’re doing to him that much sweeter.”
“Alrighty. Well, when is he supposed to wake the fuck up?” Slasher spits out, tone filled with attitude.
Reed shrugs, eyes looking right at Max. “Couple of hours, tops. If he’s not awake, then we’ll start getting creative with how we wanna wake him up. Gianni, you said you had a couple of ideas.”
My brother chuckles, “Oh yeah. I have plenty of ideas up my sleeve.”
Looking over to Max, I see he’s still hunched over in the position that Slasher and Chaos put him in. “Fuck, Reed. What was that powder? He hasn’t moved an inch.”
Reed is normally one of those men who watches the way his facial expressions change. You know, like when someone asks you a question and you think they’re dumb as fuck, so you keep your shit together. Right now, he doesn’t care. He’s showing us all how badly he’s waited for this day, and we all feel the same. Saying it’s been a long time coming just isn’t enough. He cocks his eyebrows, allowing a perverse chuckle to slip through before he answers me. “It was some sort of GHB I bought off the street.”
GHB is the drug known for being most commonly used for date rape. In most cases, it makes people drowsy, get dizzy and will knock someone unconscious. Kinda ironic how Reed chose this drug to knock Max on his ass versus another. Looking at Max, I can’t help but wonder how much he gave him, so I ask. “You give him the whole bag?”
Reed looks over to Pain and Chaos since they were the ones who went to the restaurant. “Any idea?”
“Not a clue. You told us to make sure it gets into his food. Not to tell them how much.” Chaos grumbles.
“You have some sort of a plan?” I ask Reed, wanting to know what he’s thinking. I know I’m not the only one who wants this to be a long, drawn out thing. Pretty sure Reed doesn’t want it to be either but, who knows.
He takes a few steps forward, eyes searching over Max. “Yeah, I’ve thought about this for a very long time. We all want him to suffer and so he shall. Although, since I see those lovely meat hooks in the back of that freezer truck, I’m thinking we let him hang for the ride on the way back to Gainesville. I’m not killing him here, brothers. I’m making him pay for as long as I can until I feel that we’ve all been paid the debt we’re owed.”
Kyle glares at his brother and I know just from the stare that there will never be a day when the debt is paid. You can’t pay back things like this, when time has been taken from you. When the woman you love has been hurt in ways she never should have. Even Dmitri looks furious, having the puzzle put together in his own mind. We still don’t have answers for him, but I know we will soon. We’ll get the answers for everyone.
“He’s going to be out for a couple more hours. A few of you need some shut eye. Get some rest and we’ll start after he wakes, and he fully processes that he’s in the lion’s den.
” Reed tells us. A few of the younger brothers opt to stay where as the older ones disappear for a while. They’re the ones who will demand the most bloodshed no doubt.
I just stand here against the door of the storage unit, unable to move away from this very spot. I want to see the look on his face when he realizes what he’s in for.
32
“Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles, it takes away today’s peace.”
-Unknown
Ksenia
It turned out that taking Michelle to the mall wasn’t the best idea. When I got home, my older sister felt the need to ream my ass for it. I had good intentions, just trying to keep Michelle at ease. Plus, it was my own distraction too. All I’ve been doing since the boys left is be the worst worry wart on the planet. I don’t know what’s happening, and it’s been a few days. Every now and again we’re getting messages from someone saying that they’re okay, and that they’re just busy handling business. Whatever that means in the first place. That translates into some sort of secret code for torture, in my opinion.
I’m just eager for Enzo to get back home and for us to focus on our next issue – finding Larisa. He mentioned to me that he’d have someone looking, someone who could be trusted in not alerting anyone . . . and I hope he’s right. I hope that whoever he has told didn’t share any information. These are his families’ employees, which makes me feel like they should be trusted to some extent.
I find myself going down into the basement and speaking to the Russian Dolls most days. They’re still very afraid, and I can’t blame them for the way that they feel. I would be afraid too, if I was in their position. I’m still working hard to try and make sure all of them don’t leave. Honestly, I believe that it would break Reed’s heart if a majority of them chose to leave. From what I understand, every choice he’s ever made has been to assure they have happy, healthy, free lives. He hates human trafficking as much as the rest of us do, and wants it to be put to an end. When we all came here, we were given a new opportunity. I remember those first days and how Reed said we could stay, or we could go, but if we left he, would do whatever he could in his power to make sure we had a good life. Whatever it took. If we wanted to try to go to school to study, he would try to help make that happen. Reed has always been our biggest supporter, and it makes me admire him as a leader.
I hear my phone vibrating on the coffee table in front of me and pick it up, turning the screen to face me. A Seattle based number is calling, and there is only one family that I know resides there. Reluctantly, I answer the phone. “Hello?” I say, speaking lowly.
“Hey there, sis. How are you?” Carla’s voice beams through the phone, catching me off guard. I’m so confused. First of all, how did she get my phone number in the first place?
“I’m alright. How did you get my phone number?” I cut straight to the chase. I hate surprises, and boy was this a big one.
She giggles on the other end, “Oh, you left your phone on the table when we were in the coffee shop. I took your phone and texted myself so I would have your number. With everything, I figured I should have a way to contact you.”
I don’t know why, but the fact that Carla did this makes me like her a bit more. She’s different than both of my sisters. She doesn’t exuberate power. Carla is . . . her own woman. She’s flashy, has attitude and this unique sassiness about her. I like that she hasn’t let life change her.
“Normally, I’d be mad. Especially if it was your mother and not you calling me.” I really am not a fan of their mother. She had an opinion about me before we even met. Let her keep it. I won’t waste my time trying to change her opinion, fitting into her standards.
“Oh no! I’d never do that. I just called to check in.” Something in the way that Carla is talking to me tells me something else. I don’t know how to explain it, other than I have a gut feeling.
I decide to act on this gut feeling, “Okay, so what else is going on?”
She sighs heavily on the other end and I hear a big *clunk*, sounding like she’s tossing her shoes off. “I told my brother this already, but now that it’s being discussed out in the open, I’ll tell you. My father arranged a marriage between me and one of the Romanian Clans. He’s pretty sure he knows who it’ll be, and we’re just waiting to hear who.”
“Oh,” I wasn’t expecting anything like this to come from Carla. Not quite sure what to say, I keep the conversation going. “What do you know so far?”
“Eh, not much. I put in a request for the man to be older, and kind. I’d like to think they wouldn’t pair me up with a monster, but who knows these days. I’ve done my research into the Clans, and there’s really only one who I believe would fit that category. His name is Philippe Sala, and it’s reported that he was courting Mariana before she agreed to marry Ion.”
“Alright, so you don’t have any definite information as of yet?” I ask, not quite sure how this works. If my life hadn’t worked out the way it did, I probably would’ve had an arranged marriage to some prominent man as well.
“No, I should know something in a few weeks. For now, all that is out in the open is that The Clans have received a marriage request from my father. I will be married to a head Clan member and the Romanians will have a treaty with the Arcane and vice versa. It would mean a mutually beneficial relationship, and while I’m happy for this opportunity for my family. I am nervous to be marrying a Romanian. Since I was a little girl, I was always told I would marry an Italian. My mother may never speak to me again because of this.”
“But you understand the importance of what you’re doing for your family.” I speak up, not wanting her to go down a rabbit hole filled with guilt. She’s a good person and even though I haven’t known her long, I can tell.
“Yes, while you’re right, my mother doesn’t have the same feelings.”
“Fuck your mother. This isn’t the nineteen-hundreds. She needs to understand that things change, and she needs to grow and adapt with them. Fuck talking about your mother. What do you think about all of this?”
“I think it could be good, as long as I keep my restaurant.”
“Okay, then make sure that is in the contract if you can. Plus, if he’s really a kind man, he will understand you have a passion and support you. Have you seen him?”
“Have I seen him?” Just from the tone of her voice, I can tell she has, and she must think he’s handsome. “Yes. I’ve been social media stalking him along with the others. He’s a bit older, in his early forties, but he looks like he’d be a main cast member on Outlander. So, I’m fine with that.”
“I’m guessing that must mean he’s pretty good looking.” I laugh, placing a hand on my stomach, I rub. I don’t know why I’m always doing that, but it’s somehow soothing for me.
“Oh, yes. Now, is Enzo back yet? Or are my darling brothers still causing a mountain of mayhem?”
“Nope. I’m not sure when he will be back to be honest. Hopefully it’s sometime soon, but only time will tell.”
“I’m sure he’ll let you know soon. Thanks for chatting with me. I thought you’d appreciate my drama to distract you from your own.” Carla laughs at the end, and the more I talk to her, the more I think that we’ll grow to be better friends over the years.
I look at the time and realize I need to get started on dinner. We’ve been alternating cooking meals since the guys have been gone. It keeps us each busy, distracting us from allowing our minds to wander too far into the unknown. “Carla, I have to go. But we’ll do this again soon, okay?”
“Alright. Sounds good. I’ll chat with you later.” We both hang up the phone and get back to our day to day lives.
33
Revenge is beneath me. Accidents, however will happen
-@Rebel Circus
Enzo
“Enzo, come with me.” Reed calls over, waving me over to him.
For the last few days, the brothers have been going in and out of the storage container, taking turns. I had the opportun
ity of seeing Max wake up, and his fear only sprawled across his face for a split second. After that initial reaction, his poker face replaced the worry.
Trick, Pain and Chaos were in the unit for quite a while. I know if Butch was here, he would’ve enjoyed his time too. He’s still on the road with Bellamy, helping excel her career to the lengths she’s always dreamed of.
Seamus, and Slash went in after. I remember hearing the gurgling sounds and choking coming from the storage unit. I’m betting they had a fun time waterboarding him, making him beg for his life.
Now, it must be my turn. Reed, Kyle and Dmitri are all in with me. I’ve noticed that each of the brothers who have been extremely affected by Max are accompanied by one or two brothers to make sure they don’t cross the line.
Max is standing in the middle of the unit with some sort of collar around his neck, chained to the ceiling. Finally, he looks like the caged animal he’s always been. I don’t know how to explain how I feel right now, other than filled with pride. Knowing we finally have him is a reason to celebrate. Reed might have been frustrated with me wanting to involve my family at first. But, I bet he’s thankful for it now.
“What’s that look for, Lorenzo?” Max cocks his head to the side, licking his blood covered lips.
I shrug, keeping my eyes trained on the bastard. I won’t let him think that he’s instilling any sort of fear in any of us. “It just looks nice to see you in your place, where you deserve to be.”
“Where I deserve to be? Ha! What about all of you? You deserve far worse.”
Kyle grabs a wrench from the floor next to us and hits Max in the head with it. I see him stagger back and forth a bit, but he maintains his consciousness. One hard-headed bastard, apparently.
Retribution: Skulls Renegade MC Book #10 Page 13