The other man’s jaw ticked and he took another drag on his cigarette. “And how did you know it was us?” he asked.
I could tell him the truth—that I’d seen Fighter’s club tattoo across his back—but then I had no doubt that he’d get in serious trouble, and I needed his help. Putting him in danger wouldn’t do me any favors.
“Call it female intuition,” I eventually said with sarcasm, praying he wouldn’t press the issue further. “I mean it, my daddy will never find out it was the Highwaymen—at least not from me. I’m not a snitch.”
“Ain’t loyal either,” the other man rumbled.
“Rider,” Fighter warned.
“Well, it’s true.”
“It’s not true!” I bit out, feeling hurt and angry. “Just listen to me, please.”
The silver-haired man, who I guess was Rider, smirked. “And why should we listen to you? Do you have any idea the danger you’ve put us all in by coming here?” His eyes narrowed to slits.
I pulled out from under Fighter’s grip and stepped closer to Rider. “I need your club’s protection.”
“Protection from who?” Fighter interrupted, his handsome face turning darker.
“From my daddy and his club,” I replied, the words uncomfortable on my tongue. But it was the truth and I needed to accept that. After that night, after what he’d done to Scratch and his threat on me…I needed protection.
“And why’s that?” Rider said, his cockiness giving way to unease.
“Because my daddy is ready to hand me over to whichever man finds out who took me. He’s handing me over like I’m cattle, Rider. But he’s not the sort of man you say no to.” I let out a shaky breath but kept my gaze on him. I wondered who he was in the club. Considering that my daddy was the president of the Vipers MC, I didn’t actually know a whole lot of biker life. Still, I knew enough to know that there was a pecking order. Fighter was a soldier and I hoped to hell Rider was someone important enough for me to be begging to.
Rider’s gaze moved over my shoulder to Fighter.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” another voice growled out to my right, and I turned to see another Highwayman coming toward me. He was huge, with a mane of long dark hair, a dark beard, and a jawline that was chiseled to perfection. He had one of his huge arms slung over the shoulder of a woman who I guessed was a sweetbutt, and a bottle of beer in his other hand as he came toward us. “We’re all fucking dead,” he said, looking between me and Fighter. “Someone fucking punch me and wake me up, ’cause this bitch can’t be here—she can’t be alive.”
He pushed the sweetbutt away from him and she glared at me and stalked away. He reached for me and I ducked, but it didn’t matter because Fighter was there, standing in front of me and pushing me behind him before the other man could even get close.
“Back off,” Fighter warned, his threat making my stomach clench.
The dark-haired man blinked before laughing. “You fuckin’ kidding me, brother?”
Fighter didn’t reply; instead his silence spoke volumes.
“Gauge, stand down, brother. Let’s get her out of sight and talk,” Rider said, stepping to Fighter’s side.
“Stand down? Stand. The. Fuck. Down? This bitch is supposed to be dead.” He jabbed a finger toward me, and then another thought occurred to him because he swung around to look around the club. “Is that fucker Benite on his way with the Vipers?” he said, his words directed at me. His mouth was pulled into a nasty snarl, all beauty gone from his face.
“No one’s on their way. Least not yet, apparently,” Rider grunted. He turned to me. “Gonna need you out of sight while we figure this shit out. If our prez sees you, your boy and you are going to ground.”
“He’s not my boy,” I replied with a frown. “I don’t even know him other than he’s a psycho kidnapper.”
Gauge and Rider both chuckled at that, but Fighter just frowned, his dark eyebrows pulling in as he scowled at me.
Although that wasn’t exactly true. Because after his sexual torture after taking me, I did know him, and he knew me. Little did he know how much he’d defiled my body for his own gratification. Or how much I’d loved it. I certainly wasn’t going to tell him.
“Compliments, compliments, sweetheart,” Fighter finally drolled, sounding everything like the man I had known previously.
I gave him a scathing look before turning my back on him. Rider looked between us, waiting for Fighter to say something, but as usual, Fighter gave nothing away.
“Still need you out of sight, unless you wanna die today,” Rider said.
“And here I was hoping that by coming here I could avoid dying,” I replied with a humorless laugh.
“Come on,” Rider grunted, and started to lead the way through the clubhouse.
Fighter stayed close to me and I was glad, because I didn’t trust the other man—Gauge. As we walked, the three men blocked me from view of anyone still awake, though I feared it was probably too late for that. Plenty of people had already seen me arrive and cause a scene—the prospects, the sweetbutts. All it would take was one of them to open their mouth and mention that I had been there.
I felt Fighter close to me and I glanced over my shoulder to see him staring as we walked. It felt strange seeing him without his mask—intimate, even. His full mouth and shapely lips were what I’d imagined all those times he’d gone down on me, sucking at my clit like it was a delicate pearl. His jaw was angled and strong—cocky, almost. Could a jaw be cocky? I wasn’t sure, and yet his was. But it was still his eyes that pulled me in. I was a puddle and he was the sponge, absorbing me whether I wanted to go to him or not. God, I hated him.
Rider led us out of the back of the clubhouse and away from prying eyes and ears, and I realized with stomach-dropping dread that it could be a trap. They could have been leading me to my death right then, and there I was going with a happy little skip in my step. I was an idiot.
“Talk,” Rider said, turning to me as Gauge closed the door. “What is it that you want?”
I forced my fear away and looked him dead in the eye. “Just protection.”
“From your dad?” Gauge asked, his tone disbelieving.
“Yes. Like I said, he’s handing me over to be the old lady of whichever man finds out who took me and brings him their head.” Saying it out loud made it all the more real. I’d seen my daddy angry over the years, but not like that. He’d killed Scratch for almost sleeping with me. I had no doubt that if I disobeyed him, he’d kill me too.
“That’s family business,” Gauge grunted, swaying as he took a sip of his beer. “Besides, how bad could it really be marrying a Viper? You too good for them, sweetheart?”
I scowled at him. “I’d like a choice. That’s the fucking problem.”
“Whatever,” he replied, draining his bottle.
I shook my head angrily. “You’re just as bad as he is. Women aren’t objects. We’re not here just to satisfy your needs!” I said, my voice rising.
“No, you’re here to cook too,” Gauge sneered.
I raised my hand automatically, but Fighter grabbed me around the waist and pulled me back. “I knew I shouldn’t have come here. You’re just as bad as my daddy! An asshole who only thinks with one brain.” I looked him up and down with my own sneer.
Gauge laughed and gave me a wink. “It’s a big fucking brain, sweetheart. Huge.”
“All those muscles are probably just overcompensating,” I snarked. I slapped at Fighter’s hands, but he kept a tight grip and my stomach flipped at his hands on me.
“You wanna come over here and find out how big, sweetheart?” Gauge grabbed his dick over his jeans and smiled.
“Get Mr. Psycho here to let go of me and I’ll grab my magnifying glass and take a look!” I yelled.
“Calm the fuck down, Penny,” Fighter growled in my ear.
“I’ll help you find it when I ram it down your throat,” Gauge laughed.
Fighter dropped me suddenly and stormed towa
rd Gauge. “You wanna say that again, motherfucker?”
“Keep your voices down,” Rider growled. “Gauge, either fuck off or shut up.”
Gauge laughed and threw his bottle against the fence, seemingly enjoying the sound of it smashing. He rubbed a hand down his bare chest and stared at me with a lazy grin.
“You’re pathetic.” I stormed toward him and Fighter spun around and grabbed me again. “Get off me!” I yelled at him.
“Brother, let go of her. Bitch, calm down. Gauge, I’m fucking warning you!” Rider pointed a finger at Gauge and Fighter released me. “Fighter, take this crazy bitch to my place. Charlie will take care of her while we settle shit up here. I’ll follow you both, and Gauge will lock down this place and meet us there in an hour.”
Gauge’s smile dropped. “Brothers, I’m drunk off my ass. Popped a couple of pills earlier too. I’m ready to crash out.” Gauge shrugged unapologetically. “Though it looks like we’re all about to get blown back to hell when Hardy sees she’s still alive, so I might go get my dick sucked first.” He looked across at me. “You wanna taste of a real man before you die?”
“Gauge, I swear to fucking god!” Fighter roared
Rider glared at Gauge and I had an urge to laugh. “Fucking hell, Gauge, no one’s dying here today. Get yourself to bed and sleep it off. Meet us at my house in a couple of hours. An’ for God’s sake, go to bed like I’m telling you to. Don’t be chasing that piece of ass in there. We don’t have time for it.”
Gauge turned to go back inside. “There’s always time for pussy,” he chuckled.
“Not today,” Rider growled out. “Shit’s going to go down one way or another, now get your head clear and get to my place.”
Gauge gave the middle finger before heading back inside, and Rider turned to Fighter. “What the fuck are you waiting for? Get her to Charlie and then get back here before Hardy realizes what’s going on.”
My heart skipped a beat. “So you’ll protect me?” I asked, my hopeful gaze going between Fighter and Rider.
“Never said that,” Rider replied. “I said we’d figure this shit out. Not sure what that entails yet though. The way I see it is, if Hardy sees you alive he’ll kill you himself, and Fighter here for bullshitting him. If you go back to daddy dearest you’ll be forced to marry a brother from your club and who knows what you’ll do with all the information you have on us. Not entirely sure what the fuck you’re doing coming asking for help from us, though, to be honest. Seems to me that you just walked straight out of the viper’s nest and into a fucking lion’s den.”
He made it seem so black and white.
So live or die.
When really it was live in the murky gray or die in the blinding light.
“He killed someone close to me,” I said, the realization that Scratch was truly gone now hitting me and making my eyes spring with tears. “He killed them for touching me. He’s a monster.”
“Someone close to you?” Fighter asked.
“A sort of ex,” I replied, though that wasn’t entirely true. Scratch and I had ever been boyfriend and girlfriend, we’d never had the chance to be anything.
“Why?” Rider asked, and I wished he wouldn’t have.
“Because Scratch loved me,” I replied bluntly. “And he’ll kill me if I disobey him and don’t do what he says.”
“Who the fuck is Scratch?”
“He was a Viper.”
“He killed one of his own brothers for loving you?” Rider folded his arms over his chest while he spoke and I sighed. “Do you think I’m stupid? Because that’s some bullshit right there.”
Rider’s brow furrowed but he didn’t look like he believed me—or if he did he didn’t care all that much—and I realized that I needed to open up completely and make him realize just how vile my daddy really was. I avoided looking toward Fighter as I spoke, feeling embarrassed and childish.
“Daddy saw Scratch and I together,” I said, feeling my cheeks heat.
“Together?” Fighter growled out the question. “You fucked him?”
“Seeing their daughter fuck a man will drive any father to murder,” Rider said matter-of-factly.
“It wasn’t like that,” I dragged my hands down my face.
Rider and Fighter stared at each other, a thousand conversations passing between them. I could practically feel the rage pulsing from Fighter, his anger hot on my back.
“So you did fuck him?”
“No,” I said again, my voice coming out angrier this time. I refused to turn around and look at him. I couldn’t look at him because I knew the moment would break me. “We didn’t fuck. We kissed, but it meant nothing. My daddy assumed the worst though.” I wrapped my arms around myself, because I knew what was coming.
“What’s it got to do with him who you fuck or who you don’t?” Rider asked.
I held Rider’s stare as I spoke, refusing to feel shame. “Whoever became my old man got my virginity. That’s why. My daddy was saving it for one of his brothers,” I said shamefully, like any of this was my fault.
I felt the air shift between us all, knowing how bad it sounded.
“That’s messed up,” Rider finally said, but it was obvious he didn’t really understand.
“No, what’s messed up is that none of this is my choice. And that’s what I want—a choice, my freedom,” I said bitterly. “Look, I just need a little help until I can figure out what I’m going to do.”
“And what are you planning to do?” Rider asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I just know that I can’t go back there—to him, to that life. I need a way out. I’ve got a little time since no one knows it was you guys that took me.”
“So it wasn’t out of the goodness of your heart that you kept your mouth shut then,” Rider said dryly. “It was self-preservation.”
“It keeps us both safe,” I replied defiantly, lifting my chin.
The three of us fell silent as both men processed the information. I still couldn’t look at Fighter so I was relieved when Rider finally nodded in my direction.
“We’ll sort shit out, one way or another.” He looked at Fighter. “Drop her off with Charlie and get back here, brother.” They shook hands and Fighter placed a heavy hand on my back, guiding me toward a truck as Rider went back inside. Where his hand connected with my body burned, and a shiver traveled down my spine.
Once safely inside the truck with the engine running, Fighter turned to me, his eyes dark, commanding. His mouth was a thin line of dissatisfaction and I watched as conflict moved over his features while he tried to work out what it was he wanted to say.
I knew what he wanted to say though.
It had been clear in the way his body had stiffened and the flash of emotion in his eyes. It was the same way I had felt each time I had given myself over to him, letting go of my inhibitions and letting him drag the pleasure from my body. It was shame.
“I’m sorry,” he eventually said, his voice thick like gravel. “I didn’t know.”
“Don’t be sorry,” I replied. “There’s nothing to be sorry for.”
And there truly wasn’t. At least not for that. Because the more I had thought about it, the more I had realized I wouldn’t have changed what happened between us. I had hated him, but not his touch. not the way he could work my body and make me feel things I’d never experienced before. I couldn’t ever regret that.
“If I would have known…” he started, but then he shook his head and let his words trail off.
“Everything happens for a reason, Fighter. Sometimes we don’t know what that reason is until afterwards.”
His gaze moved over my face, his features hard. “That true what you said to Rider? ’Bout your dad killing someone you cared about ’cause he thought he took your virginity?”
I didn’t miss the edge to his voice when he mentioned my virginity.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“You still care ’bout him?” he asked gruffly.
I
frowned. “My daddy?”
“No, Penny, the guy! This Scratch motherfucker.” His words were crude, blunt, and held a dominance to them. I wasn’t sure if he said it like that to garner a reaction from me or if that was just who he was. The truth was, I didn’t know much about the man, and yet there I was running to him for help, putting my life in his hands. I was an idiot.
I swallowed, Scratch’s pale face appearing in my mind, his lifeless eyes staring blankly at me. I shoved it away. I couldn’t think of him like that, not right then, or I’d crumble and break. And right then I needed to be strong—the strongest I’d ever been. His death had to mean something. It had to change things for the better.
“What does it matter?” I replied, keeping my expression neutral.
I’m not ashamed to say that I wanted to hurt him. I wanted to see him flinch, or wince at my words. Hell, I would have taken anything. Because that was how we worked, this man and I; we tormented one another to the point of insanity and then soothed each other’s wounds with our violent touch.
When Fighter didn’t reply, when his face remained as neutral as my own, I folded my arms and looked out of the window with a heavy sigh. I don’t know what I was expecting from him, what I expected him to say. What was there to say?
Fighter was a monster, a dark angel who stole me from my life, tortured me, punished me, and then set me free, my wings finally unclipped and ready to spread. Yet he was just as bad as the men in my daddy’s club—probably worse.
He certainly wasn’t good for me, no matter how much my heart raced when he was near, or how my core tightened when I was around him.
“Guess it doesn’t,” he said, and started to drive.
~ 23 ~
Penny
Fighter dropped me off with Charlie, who I soon realized was Rider’s old lady and not some other club biker, and I was glad of that at least. She was the definition of beautiful biker babe, even that early in the morning: big hair, big boobs, tight black leather pants, and thick makeup. I liked her instantly because there was no bullshit or pretense with her. She must have liked me too, because after one look up and down me she pulled me into the house and sat me at her kitchen table with a mug of coffee.
Fighter: The Devil's Highwaymen Nomads #4 Page 15