Alice scoffed. “It really wasn’t that bad. Besides, I don’t know when my next weekend off is going to be since a waitress quit on us with no notice.”
I rolled my eyes and started unpacking dishes. “I told Bos that I would stay on until he found someone else, but he insisted that you guys would be fine.”
“He feels guilty about Richard.”
“What? Why on Earth would he feel guilty about that?”
“Because he said he would have done something about him years ago, but everyone just swept it under the rug.”
“The whack job is the only one responsible for his actions,” Karmen pointed out. “Thankfully, Pipe was there, otherwise, who knows what would have happened. I’m three months pregnant and so not up to looking for a new best friend.”
I grabbed a stack of plates and put them in the cabinet. “I’m so glad you’re worried about my well-being, Karmen. I’m sure it would have been a chore to find a new best friend.”
“You have no idea,” she sighed.
“Are Cora and Wren coming over?” Alice asked.
“Cora texted that she was on the way over, but not Wren. Something about she knocked, but Wren didn’t answer,” Karmen answered.
“I hope everything is okay with Wren. I really liked hanging out with her,” I mused.
“She had to be fine. I told Cora that Wren is officially part of the Girl Gang so she can’t keep skipping out on meetings anymore.”
“Wait,” I turned around and looked at Karmen. “What meetings?”
“The one we’re having right now.”
Alice looked at me and tilted her head. “Does that make me a Girl Gang Nomad because I live an hour away.”
Karmen squealed. “Oh, my God, it totally does! You’re the first Girl Gang Nomad!”
“What the hell is all the screaming about in here?” Pipe asked. He was carrying three boxes in his arms, and Nickel was behind him carrying the same.
“Just Girl Gang stuff.”
Nickel rolled his eyes and set the boxes next to the couch. “You’re a nut, woman. You think since I’m part of an MC you need to have your own group too?” he chuckled.
Karmen shrugged. “Hey, I can have a little fun too.”
“Is that what they’re calling crazy these days, fun?” Pipe asked. Karmen threw a pillow at him, and he caught it mid-air. “Nice try, darlin’.”
She flipped him off and crossed her arms over her chest. “Be thankful I’m pregnant, or I’d totally take you down right now, dick.”
Alice and Karmen high-fived and tossed another pillow at Pipe. This one hit him squarely in the back, because he was headed straight for me and didn’t stop ‘til he wrapped me in his arms. “Your girls are crazy, sugar.”
“Yeah, they are,” I agreed. I wrapped my arms around his waist and looked around our house. “I still can’t believe we got this place.”
“Perfect timing, sugar.”
I leaned back and looked up at him. “I guess you’re right. When we first met, we didn’t have the timing thing right, but now we got it just right.”
He pressed a kiss to my lips and smiled. “All it took was for me to pull my head out of my ass and realize what was right in front of me. I love you, Nikki.”
“I love you too, Pipe, because you are the only person I know who can make me swoon by talking about pulling their head out of their ass.”
“What can I say, you bring it out of me, sugar.”
I leaned my head against his shoulder and sighed.
It may have taken moving to a new town and running from the man I loved, but it all worked out in the end.
Pipe loved me, and that was all I could ask for.
*
Chapter 35
Maniac
I pounded on the door again, but she didn’t answer. Normally by the third time I knocked, she threw open the door and asked me what the hell I wanted.
Something wasn’t right.
“Wren, open the goddamn door,” I hollered.
Brinks peeked his head out of his room and smirked. “Trouble in paradise?” he asked.
“Something isn’t right, man.” I tried turning the doorknob, but she had it locked.
“You break down that door, you know Wrecker is going to string you up by your nuts,” Brinks reminded me.
I pounded on the door. I waited ten seconds and looked at Brinks.
Fuck it.
Wrecker could make me pay for the damn door, I didn’t give a fuck.
I stepped back and powered into the door. My shoulder made contact and busted through. “Wren,” I called when I didn’t see her on the bed.
The water in the tub was running, and I was going to look like a complete ass if she was just taking a bath and didn’t hear me.
“Wren,” I called again.
She should have heard me though. Hell, everyone in the clubhouse probably heard me.
I cautiously moved to the open bathroom door and called her name again.
I made it to the door and went numb. Everything went silent as I watched Wren float in the water.
Water tinted pink from the blood seeping from her wrists.
The End
Maniac
Fallen Lords MC
Book Three
Winter Travers
Copyright © 2018 Winter Travers
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduction, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) utilization of this work without written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
For questions or comments about this book, please contact the author at [email protected]
Also by Winter Travers
Devil’s Knights Series:
Loving Lo
Finding Cyn
Gravel’s Road
Battling Troy
Gambler’s Longshot
Keeping Meg
Fighting Demon
Unraveling Fayth
Skid Row Kings Series:
DownShift
PowerShift
BangShift
Fallen Lords MC Series
Nickel
Pipe
Maniac
Wrecker
Boink
Clash
Powerhouse MA Series
Dropkick My Heart
Love on the Mat
Black Belt in Love
Black Belt Knockout
Nitro Crew Series
Burnout
Holeshot
Redlight
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Coming Next
About the Author
1st Chapter of Loving Lo
Acknowledgements
I’m gonna get sappy here.
This book is possible only because of the amazing team of people I have behind me.
My amazing PA, Nikki Horn, who keeps me on track and sane. (As sane as I can be.)
My BETAS: Carissia Beckler, Jennifer Sparlin, Arika Mae, & Kendra LaSalle. Thank the heavens for you four.
My editor, Jennifer Wiers Severino. A god send.
My two amazing proofreaders, Mary at On Pointe Proofreading and the amazing Kelly Tucker. My final set of eyes who give my stories the final polish they need.
My Mayra Statham. Even when I’m down to the last minute and have thousands of words left to write, she kept telling me I could do it. She was right, and I’m never getting rid of her. Everyone needs their own Mayra. Also, everyone needs to go read her books. (Yes, that was a shameless plug.)
And finally, my boys. While I suffered for weeks with the flu, they took care of me, and only complained a little. LMAO
A word to my readers:
Wren’s story is not an easy one. If sexual abuse and suicide are triggers for you, please proceed with caution.
I wrote this story with complete respect for those who have been victims or feel like they can’t go on. Please know that you are never alone.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, please don’t give up.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
If you have been the victim of sexual abuse, please don’t stay silent.
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
Dedication
You are never alone.
Prologue
Wren
Steam rolled off the hot water that swirled around my bare skin, and I laid my head against the folded washcloth on the back of the tub. My eyes closed.
My arms rested on the sides of the tub, blood dripping into the warm water, and my mind was at peace knowing this was almost over.
I couldn’t go on, pretending I was fine.
Nothing was fine.
Nothing was good.
My eyes fluttered open at the pounding on the door. Even if I had wanted to get up and open it, I was too weak.
I remembered being at the Hell Captains clubhouse and overhearing the guys talking about one of the club girls who had tried to kill herself in the bathroom. One of the big, burly members had made the comment she had just done it for attention because she hadn’t even done it the right way. “Cutting across the street does nothing. Down the road all the way.”
At the time, I thought he was an insensitive pig, and I still thought that, but I had to be thankful to him. I knew the end was close and I wouldn’t have to be here much longer. Two one-inch slits the length of my wrists boasted I had done it the right way. I had fucked up the rest of my life, but this, I wasn’t going to mess up.
The pounding intensified on the door, and my eyes flitted closed.
I felt like I was floating. Nothing mattered anymore. I wasn’t some rag doll that had been used by numerous men, then tossed aside.
In the back of my mind, I heard the door explode open, but it didn’t matter.
This was it.
I was done.
I didn’t want to be saved.
There wasn’t anything left of me to be saved.
The feeling of floating returned, but the warmth surrounding me was replaced with a biting chill.
“Wren, Wren.”
No. I didn’t want this. All I wanted was darkness.
I cracked open my eyes and stared into the eyes of the man who thought of me as nothing more than a chore. Piercing green eyes looked at me, and it felt like he could see into my soul and knew everything that had been done to my body. I didn’t want him to see me.
If anyone knew the things I’ve done, they would never look at me the same.
“Leave,” I gasped.
He shook his head and shouted at someone in the doorway. “Call nine-one-one right now!”
I would have laughed if I had the energy. They couldn’t help me.
No one could. My eyes closed, and I searched for the darkness.
“Stay with me, Wren. I’m gonna fix you.”
The corners of my lips turned up. “You won’t find all of the pieces.” My body thumped down onto the hard floor, and I felt him grab my arms.
The darkness got closer, and I welcomed its numbing calm.
I didn’t want to be fixed.
I just wanted to die.
*
Chapter 1
Wren
Two Months Later
“Breakfast.”
“Not hungry.”
He set the plate down in front of me. “Don’t care.” His long finger pointed at the two fried eggs and toast. “You have therapy in an hour. You eat this, get dressed, and then we leave.”
“I don’t have to do what you say.”
He planted his hands on the table and loomed over me. “Are we really going to go over this every morning?”
“Yes, because I don’t know why you suddenly care.”
He growled low. “I’ve always cared.”
He was always growling at me. His voice was low and rough. I swear, he gargled gravel every night before he went to bed. “No one cares.”
“People do care, Wren. You just can’t see past the shit swirling around in your head.” He pushed the plate closer. “Eat.”
I picked up the fork and stabbed the yolk. “Your eggs suck.” Hard, rubbery yolk every morning for the past six and a half weeks was disgusting. The food in the hospital was better than this.
“Then wake up on your own, and cook them yourself.”
“That doesn’t sound like you care about me.”
He pulled out the chair across from me and sat down. “I’m sitting in on your therapy today.”
My jaw dropped. “Um, what?” Therapy was the only time I had away from Maniac. Otherwise, he was always breathing down my neck. The man never left me alone for more than the two minutes it took me to go to the bathroom. “You don’t need to be there.”
“I’m coming in with you.”
“You’re not.” What the hell was this man smoking? Therapy was private, and he had no right to be there.
“I am.”
“What do you think you are doing?”
“Helping.” This man was insane.
“How is that helping?”
“I’m the one who has spent the past two months with you. I think I should be able to be there. Besides, I have a few questions of my own I want to ask her.”
I threw my arms up. “You can ask her questions after I’m done.”
“Just let me come one time with you, Wren. It’s not going to hurt anything.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. Fine, if he wanted to be bored to death for an hour, he was more than welcome to come along. “Whatever. If you want to be there, then you can be there.” It wasn’t like I was getting anything out of the therapy besides an hour away from Maniac.
“Good. Finish eating, get dressed, and then we’ll leave.” He walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.
The damn man drove me insane. He treated me like a teenager who constantly needed watching and couldn’t think for themselves.
I ate the egg white from around the rubbery yolk and one piece of the toast. I only ate to keep up my strength to argue with Maniac. I scraped the rest of my food into the garbage and set my plate in the sink. I never did dishes. He forced me to eat so he could do the dishes then.
“Half an hour, Wren,” he called.
“Yes sir, Captain Asshole,” I mumbled under my breath.
“Heard that,” he chuckled.
Good. He needed to know I didn’t appreciate him. I just wanted to be left alone.
I just needed to convince Maniac and this damn therapist that I was fine, then hopefully, I could get the hell out of here.
Hell, I would settle for ten minutes alone.
Maniac was holding me prisoner in this damn place, and all I wanted to do was bust out and never
see him or the Fallen Lords ever again.
*
Maniac
“How does that make you feel?”
If this bitch asked Wren “how does that make you feel” one more time, I was going to slit my own wrists. Christ on a cracker, this bird was whacked in the head.
“Uh, it makes me feel fine.” Wren was huddled in the corner of the couch, giving the same damn answer every time.
This was fucking pointless.
I sprung up from the couch, pulled a fifty from my wallet, and tossed on the coffee table. “We’re done.”
“It’s only been twenty minutes,” the therapist stuttered.
“Yeah, that’s nineteen minutes too long.” I turned to Wren and held my hand out to her. “Let’s go.”
She slowly unfolded her legs from underneath her and stood. She avoided my hand, walked around the coffee table, and out the door.
“Mr., uh, Maniac. I have to advise you this is not a good idea. Wren needs help.”
I nodded my head. “No shit, Dr. Phil, but your kind of help is horse shit.”
She puffed out her chest and tossed her notebook down.
I didn’t have time for whatever Freudian shit she was going to spew at me. I may not have a degree in shrinking heads, but I damn well knew the shit she was doing with Wren wasn’t working. That was why I wanted to be here today. I didn’t know what Wren had gone through, but I knew it was some fucked up shit. Asking how she felt about shit wasn’t going to help.
I jogged down the hallway and caught a glimpse of Wren’s back as she pushed out the front door.
“That was quick. Do you want me to schedule her next appointment?” The tiny blonde receptionist fluttered her eyelashes at me and thrust out her fake tits.
Under normal circumstances, I would have appreciated this, but with Wren making a break for it, I didn’t get the chance to flirt with her today. “We’re done.”
Fallen Lords MC: Books 1-3 Page 38