I stood panting for breath. The shooting had stopped. Reid and Demon were heading down the hallway opposite where I was standing, so I decided to check the rooms at my end. I walked into the first bedroom, which appeared to be set up as a studio, cameras facing a round bed. There was a mirror on the ceiling that would reflect anything that might happen on the bed. The décor was strictly a porn setting. I squinted, swearing as I realized that mixed among the various stains on the bed was blood.
Fuck.
I left that room and checked two other similar rooms, finding them empty. Dancer was heading down the hallway as I was heading back. "How much time do you need?"
"Give me ten to set it up. I can detonate after we leave."
I nodded and continued to the main room. The door opened, and Chewy and Loco came inside. I raised a brow, silently asking what had gone down. From their expressions I knew that it wasn't good.
"Found two girls in that fucking hot box," Loco said, grinding his back teeth until a muscle jerked in his jaw. "One of them is just a kid, Brother. A fucking kid."
Jesus H. Christ. I thought about the blood that I’d seen on the bed. Had that been hers? Had those fucking bastards raped a kid?
"Took out two of them," Chewy said as Demon, Cole, and Reid returned.
"Where are the girls?" I frowned.
"Outside. Didn't know what we'd find in here."
"We'd better get gone." Cole tucked his gun away. He glanced up when Dancer came back into the room. "You done?"
"Yup. Set explosives up in that shed, too. Time the Knights get here, this place is going to look like a fucking crater," he grinned.
"Good." Demon was already at the door. "Let's go."
We’d barely made it outside when he paused and pulled out his phone. A smirk moved across his face. "Oz said it's done."
"The fucking Knights won't know which way to go," Loco remarked as he moved toward the two cowering girls.
Jesus fuck. The one looked to be about ten, maybe eleven-years-old at most. I went over to her. Her eyes were downcast, and I could feel her trembling when I put my finger beneath her small chin and gently pulled her head up to meet her eyes. God, hers were big and so full of innocence. "We're going to get you home, okay, sweetheart?"
She nodded slowly, her bottom lip quivering.
"Did any of those men touch you?"
Before she could respond, the woman next to her said, "They were saving her. They said they could get more money for a virgin."
Fucking hell. I ground my teeth until a sharp pain shot up the side of my jaw. Thank God she wouldn't have to deal with the aftermath of being raped. From the look of the woman in front of me, it seemed like she hadn't avoided anything. In spite of that, there was gratitude swimming in her eyes
"We got to go, Brother," Demon insisted.
Loco and Chewy carried the barefoot girls to the van. We plowed inside and took off down the road and back to the van we'd arrived in. I glanced back at the girls where they sat on the floor. The older one was holding the little girl close to her, trying to comfort her in her own way. "What are your names?"
"Shanna," the woman answered. "This is Tara.
"How long were you with those men?"
"Two days," Shanna answered, looking down at the floor. "Too long."
"We have a doctor at the clubhouse if you need one."
She shook her head, keeping her eyes down.
"There's two other girls. I promise we'll get you all home."
As we pulled up next to the other van, Demon growled, "Reid, you drive the other van back, Brother."
Reid got up without question.
"I gotta go too, Prez." Dancer followed behind Reid after he opened the door and jumped to the ground. "Detonator's over there."
"After we take off, you know what to do," Cole said.
"Got it." He closed the door behind him.
"Let's get the fuck out of here." I didn't want to face any more Knights tonight with the girls present.
"We're not going to watch the fireworks?" Chewy joked.
Oh, we'd be watching them. Well, I would, because I had a window. If I knew Dancer he'd set up enough explosives to light up the fucking sky for miles around, which was another reason that I wanted to put distance between us and this place. It was going to draw the cops.
As soon as Reid took off we pulled in right behind him. A minute later a huge explosion shook the ground and lit the sky, followed by several more. I looked out the window, watching as flaming debris fell to the ground. Both buildings had been obliterated, and what little was left of them was burning out of control. I released a breath of relief and relaxed back in my seat for the ride back to the clubhouse.
If the Knights hadn’t thought we were at war before, they did now.
Chapter 22
Holly
It was nearing the end of the week, and we were still on lockdown. The men rode out nearly every day, sometimes twice a day, to take care of "club business." They often returned looking as if they'd been in a fight, scraped and bloodied, but still worked up. They would come through the clubhouse door mean and moody, and anyone close by would scramble out of their way, the wives included. First they'd hit the bar, then they'd grab their women and disappear. These men needed an outlet when the day was done, and if they didn't have old ladies, they grabbed a club girl.
Those were the times when I secretly watched Sax, waiting for him to tear my heart out, but he had yet to take any of the club girls off somewhere. He'd just sit at the bar and drink, and once in a while I'd catch him watching me, but for the most part we stayed away from each other. Where he was sleeping at night, I had no clue. After that first day he hadn't returned to his room.
I busied myself with taking care of Ava and helping out where I could, but I knew I would need to make a decision soon about whether or not I would stay. The first day of my new job was almost here, and I couldn't afford to screw things up. They wouldn't understand or even care about lockdown. They had a restaurant to open. I decided it would probably be a good idea to touch base with them, just to make sure the restaurant was still opening on time.
Ava was good, entertaining herself on a blanket in front of the TV. JoJo and Ellie were there with their toddlers. I pulled out my phone and indicated to JoJo that I needed to make a call. She nodded, and I went to the kitchen where I wouldn't be interrupted. The room was empty. I checked my contacts for the Crickets' manager who'd hired me and hit his number.
As I waited for Mr. Mathis to answer his phone I jumped up onto the island to sit. Low-key noise from the bar carried to me, but not enough to be distracting. Finally, on the fourth ring he answered.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Mathis?"
"Yes."
"This is Holly—"
"Holly?" His tone suggested that he was surprised to be hearing from me, and his nervous laughter warned me that something was not right. "I hope you're not calling to get your job back. I've already hired a new hostess."
As his words quickly sank in, my smile disappeared and my stomach dropped. What was he talking about? "I don't understand what you mean. I thought the position was mine. That's why I'm calling, to see if the restaurant is still opening on Saturday."
"Um, well . . ." He cleared his throat. "This is certainly awkward." I could just imagine the furrow between his thick, white eyebrows. "I came in Monday and had a message on my desk saying that you'd changed your mind about the job."
"What? I didn't change my mind! Who left a message?" This was not happening to me. "Did you talk to your assistant? Because I did not change my mind," I reiterated. "I need that job, Mr. Mathis."
"To be totally honest, I was surprised that you'd changed your mind, so I did speak with Angie and she said that a man had called. He said that something else had come along and that you would have to pass on the position."
A man? I digested his words, more confused now than ever. Who would do something like this? My mind raced, but no one came to m
ind. Someone was messing with my life. "I don't suppose he left a name?" I sighed, not expecting much.
"As a matter of fact, he did. Unusual name, too, which is why I remember it—Sax."
Sax?! Why would he do this? He didn't want me at Grinders, he didn't want me around the clubhouse. Unless he knew that I'd want to leave the clubhouse so I could start the job at Crickets, and he didn't want me to leave while the club was on lockdown. But going behind my back and causing me to lose a new job was a bit extreme, and why would he even care? It was my life, and I couldn't put it on hold indefinitely.
"Is there anything available, Mr. Mathis?" If I could just get my foot in the door...
"I'm sorry, Holly. I really am. This close to opening, everything has been filled. But I'll keep your resume, and if something opens up you'll be the first one I call."
"Thank you. I appreciate that." I wanted to cry with disappointment.
As we ended the call I fought the urge to throw my phone across the room. Disappointment quickly turned to anger. Sax had no right to interfere in my life. I needed that job, and now I had no job and no money coming in. What the hell was he thinking? That he was protecting Ava and me by manipulating our situation? The more I stewed over it, the angrier I got. I jumped down off the island and stormed out to the bar.
I scanned the crowded room for Sax, my heart pounding. By the time I found him playing pool with Cole, Colton, and Oz I was fuming. And then I saw Goldie. Perfect. She was there too, eyeing Sax up and down, her intentions so obvious that it made me sick. I made my way over to them, too infuriated to care that I was about to make a fool out of myself.
Cole and Oz saw me coming, their happy-go-lucky expressions quickly changing when they realized that something was wrong and that I was on the warpath. They were holding their pool cues and waiting for their turn to make a shot. Colton and Sax had their backs to me. Sax was bent over the table, about to take his turn. Goldie noticed me approaching and moved to his side, getting as close as she could in an attempt to get between us.
I ignored the bitch.
I didn't wait for Sax to take his shot. I grabbed his arm to get his attention. "How could you, Sax?!"
The pool cue missed the ball and hit the table as I pulled him around to face me. He turned, angry and swearing. "The fuck?!"
"You had no right to call Crickets and tell them I no longer wanted that job! I needed that job, you asshole! How do you expect me to pay my bills, huh?"
"I have no fucking idea what you're talking about!" he growled back with a heavy frown.
"I just got off the phone with the manager, Sax! He said you called him, he knew your name. Why would you do that, you jerk?! You had no fucking right to interfere in my life!"
"Settle the fuck down—"
"You settle down! I know why you did it. You're all alike! It's all about control with you guys—"
"Holly," Sax warned in a guttural growl, a flash of anger in his eyes. "Don't say something you'll regret, woman."
I knew that I was going too far. The look in Cole's eyes said it, too, but I didn't care. I was hurt and angry. "Or what, Sax? What will you do to me for speaking the truth? You had no right to make a decision that concerned me!"
"Doesn't feel good, does it?" he snarled back.
The truth behind his harsh words hit me hard, because that's exactly what I'd done to him. It took me a minute to breathe, and I tried to calm my racing heart. "You knew I'd have to leave for that job, and you wanted to keep me here on lockdown!"
"Why the fuck would I do that when I want you gone?"
Goldie giggled. Colton looked down regretfully and slowly shook his head, for whom I wasn't sure.
I jerked back as if his hurtful words had physically hit me, and blinked as my eyes filled with tears. Cole and Oz just stood there quietly. The room had quieted behind me, telling me that we had an audience. I was too afraid to look and see what was on everyone's faces, knowing that I'd screwed up.
You didn't disrespect a member of the club, especially in front of his brothers, and Sax was the VP.
It was hard to tell what he was thinking, but his body language was easy to read. He was rigid with anger. If he wanted me gone it didn't make sense that he'd made that call, but the fact that Mr. Mathis had mentioned his name couldn't be ignored either. Someone was playing games.
"Are you done with your fucking tantrum?"
I gasped with disbelief.
"I don't know what the fuck is going on, but I do know this—I didn't call anyone about any job you had lined up. I want you out of Grinders. I want you out of this clubhouse. I want you out of my sight. Is that clear enough for you?"
His cruel words caused me to reach for a discarded pool cue. I didn't know what I was going to do with it until I raised it and slammed it down on the edge of the pool table."You're an asshole, Sax, and a liar!" I said between my teeth, convinced that he was lying.
"Jesus Christ, woman!"
"Just be glad that wasn't your head!"
I heard a few snorts behind me as I stood there, shocked by my own actions. There was amusement in Goldie's eyes, along with something else. She was enjoying this, and a little too much. I narrowed my eyes distrustfully at the other woman. I looked back at Sax. His expression was dark and frightening in its intensity.
We'd had our fights, but none like this. Maybe I was a little out of control. Maybe this was about more than just losing a job. It didn't help my mood seeing Goldie hanging around Sax all week like a bitch in heat.
Realizing that I had to get out of there, I tossed the pool cue onto the pool table and spun around to make my escape.
"You can go to hell!" I said pointedly over my shoulder. I met the amusement in JoJo and Raven's eyes as they sat playing with the kids. Annie's mouth was frozen open with surprise. Ellie's worried look revealed that I may have gone too far.
I thought I was going to make my escape until I heard, "Oh, no you don't, you little brat."
I didn't see Sax move because I was moving swiftly through the room toward the stairs. I avoided everyone's eyes, still panting with anger and a little embarrassed. I'd seen a lot of women go after their men in the clubhouse, and while it had created entertainment for all, I'd always thought myself above giving into my emotions and causing a scene.
Suddenly a hand on my shoulder flipped me around. Before I could question him, Sax bent, put his shoulder against my belly, and lifted me off my feet in a fireman's hold.
This couldn't be good. "Put me down!" I screeched.
"I will." He continued toward the stairs. "Just as soon as I have you over my knee and my hand on your ass!"
Laughter erupted around us. "No, Sax!" He'd never taken a hand to me before. Sure, we'd played around a little, but his tone implied that this was punishment and he was going to make it sting. "Put me down!"
Somehow Sax managed to walk up the stairs with me hanging over his shoulder, making the effort seem like a piece of cake. I'd never returned to my pre-baby weight, and yet he wasn't even huffing. I seethed the whole way and struggled to get down. A hard slap on my behind took my breath away. He'd held nothing back, and I wondered if that was a prelude to what was to come.
I wondered if maybe this was just an act to save face in front of his brothers, and that once we got to wherever it was he was taking me, he'd put me down and we would talk like two grown adults. On second thought, I didn't believe that for a minute, and the closer we got to his room, the more scared I grew.
"I hate you!" I cried out childishly.
"You're going to hate me more in a minute."
Chapter 23
Sax
I tossed Holly onto the bed before slamming the door closed and facing her again. I couldn't remember the last time I’d been this angry at her. If we'd still been together, I would have laughed her tirade off, maybe grabbed her and kissed her breathlessly before slapping her on the ass and telling her to cool off. My brothers wouldn't have thought anything of it. But we weren’t together
, and she'd crossed the line throwing her little tantrum. Demon, especially, would expect me to rein her in and remind her where she was and how shit worked.
Holly disrespecting me disrespected the club, and my brothers would be waiting to hear her screams downstairs. I crossed my arms and glared down at her flushed face and fiery eyes. She was pissed, but there was also apprehension on her face. She had to be thinking that I'd never had to "handle" her before, had only ever put my hands on her to give her pleasure, but again, these were different times. There were no exceptions because of the history between two people.
"You went too far."
"I don't give a shit!"
I saw red at her flippant attitude. "You will." I reached for her ankle, but she scooted up to the head of the bed.
Growling with irritation, I reached again, this time snatching it. She let out a squeal and tried to kick me with her other foot until I grabbed that one, too.
"No! Don't you dare!"
I loved a challenge, and smirked. I easily yanked her to the foot of the bed and caught her up in my arms, grunting when she brushed against my dick as she struggled to get away. Fuck, that felt good. I'd been fucking horny all week, and not taking the opportunity to work it out with one of the club sluts was my own fault.
"No, Sax!"
I ignored her, sitting on the edge of the bed and forcing her over my knee. She tensed when she felt my hand at the back of her shorts, and I yanked them and her panties down to bare her sweet ass. I stared down at the two full moons for a minute, my mouth watering at the smooth, flawless flesh I'd exposed. It was going to be fucking hard to keep to my agenda, harder than I’d thought it would be. She sucked in her breath as I smoothed my palm over one cheek until she gradually relaxed, and then when she wasn't expecting it I brought my hand down in a slap that burned my palm and echoed through the room.
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