I slumped back down and tried to keep myself awake. The door was opening again. I didn’t know how much longer I could take of this. If someone else walked in and started giving me shit or beating me up again, this time I was going to pass out for sure.
But I wasn’t going down without a fight. I geared myself up for another showdown. I could hear the shuffling of feet and I peered, trying to see who it was. Slowly, the person came into the bright light above me and I saw her face.
It was a woman. The last thing I was expecting to see in a place like this. I was sure I was hallucinating. This couldn’t actually be fucking happening. What was a woman doing here?
When I first saw her walking into the light, I could have sworn I was imagining things. She had an almost ethereal quality, like she was some kind of angel. I blinked as I looked at her, squinting in the bright light. How could a woman achieve this kind of perfection?
She looked meekly up at me, with her big green eyes. Her demeanor was shy, she was too afraid to even meet my eyes. Not the kind of girl I would have imagined hanging around the Hell’s Drifters or the Dark Legion.
She had long silky looking blond hair, which fell softly like a curtain around her shoulders. She was petite, thin but with the right curves in the right places.
She was wearing a short simple black dress which revealed her long shapely legs. She was wearing ankle boots with that and a casual denim jacket. Even though she looked absolutely beautiful, there was something sad about her.
From the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew she was afraid of something. Was she afraid of me? But I was chained up like an animal. Was she afraid of them?
She hadn’t said a word, she’d barely even looked at me and I already had this uncontrollable urge to protect her. She needed to be defended. I didn’t know what from.
After I’d stared at her for several moments, I finally saw the steel tray in her hands. She was carrying food. She stood in front of me for a few moments in complete silence.
It was like both of us had recognized each other, even though we’d never met before. She was afraid of me, and I was in disbelief. I had my fair share of sexy girls, girls who were more than willing to give me what I wanted, whenever I wanted.
But this one—there was something different about her. It seemed like she didn’t know what she wanted.
Before I could open my mouth to say anything, I saw her quickly putting the tray of food down on the abandoned chair. And just as quickly, she was turning away to leave.
She was going to disappear and I would never see her again. I was gripped with that thought. Or was I just hungry? I couldn’t even think straight anymore.
“Wait!” I called out, watching her go and despite how afraid she was, she stopped in her tracks. She slowly turned back around to look at me.
“You have to help me,” I said. She gulped, the color rose in her cheeks. “Help me eat, I mean,” I added.
I looked over at the handcuffs on my wrists, and a look of realization entered her eyes. I wasn’t trying to manipulate her. It was going to be impossible for me to eat with my hands tied like that. How had they not thought of this already?
But now, more than the food, I wanted her to stay so I could keep looking at her.
6
Harley
Harley
For the past two days, I’d been hearing murmurs and talk about this man who had been kidnapped and was being held in the clubhouse somewhere. As usual, I tried to keep my head down and work. The last thing I needed was to overhear anything grotesque.
I was aware of the nature of work that was carried out by the MC. The kind of violence they were involved in, especially Caesar. But I never asked for details. I just didn’t want to know or get involved.
So, when Caesar came up to me while I was scrubbing one of the floors and said he had a job for me; the last thing I expected was this.
I’d already cooked for the other guys and the food was in the little makeshift kitchen in the back. Caesar took me back there and I was hesitant, afraid of what he was going to do to me there.
“Put some food on a tray,” he commanded, folding his arms over his chest. I did as I was told again. I arranged some food on a metal tray, a little bit of everything.
“You’re going to take this to the cellar. There’s a man there. Leave the food in there,” he said and without any further instructions, he walked away from me. I stood there in the kitchen for a few moments, twisting my hands together with nervousness.
I’d never come face to face with any of their other prisoners before. I didn’t know what to expect. But if I didn’t get this done on time, Caesar was going to find me later and punish me for it.
And if there was one thing Caesar loved to do in his spare time, it was to find ways to punish me. Usually it was always accompanied with threats of what he was going to do to me and how he was going to take Amanda away from me. How I would never see her again if I didn’t do exactly what he wanted me to do.
So, I carried the tray with me to the cellar. There was a guy waiting there at the door, talking on the phone. It seemed like he was expecting me because he said nothing and just unlocked the door and held it open. He continued to talk on the phone. I couldn’t even ask him what else I was supposed to do.
Breathing in deeply to settle myself, I stepped into the dingy cold room.
This was no way for a human being to survive, was my first thought. There was a musty damp smell in the air, and there was water dripping somewhere on the cold floor. One singular bright bulb shone overhead the man who was crouched by one corner of the wall.
I walked towards him, and when I came closer and saw him more clearly, my feet nearly froze to the ground.
This was not the kind of prisoner I was expecting to come face to face with. For some reason, I was expecting a monster, but instead what I saw was a handsome young man who was badly bruised and beaten.
I gulped, too shocked to say anything or move. I couldn’t look at him, in fear that he’d know what I was thinking. But he was looking at me. He was watching me closely, and his dark eyes seemed to pierce me. I felt like he knew exactly what I was thinking. Like he could look into my soul and see just how afraid I was…of everything.
I tried to keep my eyes turned away from him, but it was impossible because of the startling way he was looking at me. He had rich dark hair and a square jaw. He was battered and bruised, but his shoulders were big and wide. He was wearing a shirt that appeared to be torn, but it stretched over his muscles. I could see the tattoo sleeve on his right arm.
He was sitting down on the floor, but I could sense he was tall. Much taller than me. Without those bruises and cuts or the blood caked on his face, he would make heads turn everywhere he went. He was big and muscular, just the kind of man every woman would want wrapped around her in bed at night.
I couldn’t believe I was even having these thoughts right now. Feeling ashamed, I rushed to leave the tray on the chair and walk away—but he spoke to me. He said he wanted my help.
Once again, I froze to the spot. There was something about his voice that calmed me. I didn’t know what it was, but it made me feel safe. Even though he hadn’t really done anything.
He wanted my help?
He clarified. He needed my help with the food.
I stared at him, then noticed his hands cuffed to the pipe on the wall. I hadn’t seen it before, and neither had the other guys informed me that he was going to be chained.
He was right. He was definitely going to need help in order to eat. He didn’t have the use of either of his hands! How did they expect him to eat?
For a moment or two, I didn’t move or say anything and he continued to stare at me. It looked like there was something he wanted to say, but he had changed his mind. He was studying me.
“Will you stay?” he asked again and I gulped. Thoughts were racing through my head. Caesar hadn’t given me any instruction on what to do next. He hadn’t been specific. What if I w
as punished for even speaking to him? Caesar was capable of anything.
But I couldn’t let him starve! Not when I’d brought him food here and it was just going to lie there.
“Yes, I’ll stay,” I told him.
7
Dash
Dash
At first, I felt relief that she was going to stay and help me eat. I hadn’t eaten in so long that nothing mattered to me more than getting some food in my stomach. Then, when I saw her step towards me gently, I felt a bit of excitement too.
I was bruised and bleeding and in pain, but you can’t take desire for a woman out of a man. She was beautiful and angelic, and being in her presence made me feel good. Whatever bit of good I could still feel.
She had her hands clasped tightly together to her front. She still looked afraid, and she was meek, I could barely hear her voice when she spoke. Something told me she was afraid of the men out there. What were they doing to her?
“I would love a bite of something,” I said, smiling a little to put her at ease. It seemed like she had suddenly remembered why she was here and quickly turned to get the tray of food.
Putting it on the floor, she got on her knees. It upset me to see those delicate pale knees graze the dirty damp floor.
“I wish I could offer you a chair,” I told her, smiling still. She kept her head down, but I could see a hint of color in her cheeks now. I watched as she picked up a sandwich from the tray and then with quivering hands, she moved it towards my mouth.
Was it inappropriate that I wanted to suck on those dainty long fingers as she brought her hand towards me? But instead, I took a bite of the sandwich. It was peanut butter and jelly. It wasn’t supposed to be anything special, but right now it tasted like the best thing I ever had.
I chewed and gulped it down quickly, which brought another blush to her cheeks.
She lifted the plastic cup of water and now came closer to me, to hold the glass to my lips. Cool sweet water. Nothing in the world could feel better than the elixir of water when you are dying of thirst. I took a moment to experience that good feeling.
She held the sandwich out to me again and I took another bite.
“My name is Dash, what’s yours?” I asked.
She kept her gaze set firmly away from me. She didn’t want to meet my eyes. I could sense that she was not prepared to answer the question.
“It’s all right if you don’t want to tell me your name. I won’t hold it against you,” I added.
She looked up at me then, her green eyes were bright and sharp.
“You don’t need to know my name. I’m nobody important,” she replied. Was she trying to fool me or was it just her self-esteem that was low? I couldn’t tell. I knew I wasn’t supposed to trust anyone in here, but I couldn’t help but want to keep talking to her.
“Someone as beautiful as you? I find it hard to believe that you’re not important,” I said to her as she let me drink from the cup again. I gulped it down quickly, watching as the color rose deeply in her cheeks. There was a soft smile on her face too and it pleased me to see that I could at least make her blush and smile. Despite the state that I was in.
She said nothing to that and gave me the sandwich to eat again. There was some egg and mayo salad on the side with a plastic spoon stuck in it. When she gave me a spoonful of that, I had to appreciate how good it tasted.
“That is probably the best egg salad I’ve ever had. Did you make this?” I asked. She was blushing still and now she nodded. My compliments were embarrassing her but I loved to watch her smile.
I wolfed down the salad and she gave me more water to drink. I followed her with my eyes as she moved. She had a certain grace and quiet charm to her that couldn’t be acquired. You had to be born with it, and she had it. Despite how afraid she was in this place, and probably mistreated; she hadn’t lost that charm.
I opened my mouth to say something more but suddenly the door parted.
“What the hell is going on?” We heard a voice. It had to be the guy guarding my room. I looked at her and all the color drained from her face. She was definitely afraid of him, afraid of them. She jumped up off the floor and dusted her clothes quickly of crumbs.
I gritted my teeth as I watched her rush towards the door, but she stopped. She looked over her shoulder at me.
“Harley. My name is Harley,” she said in a whisper and then she was gone.
The guy had been standing, holding the door open and she had run through it in a flash. Was she going to get in trouble? Was I the one who’d got her in trouble?
What were they going to do to her because she’d dared to feed me?
As the door banged shut again, I pulled at my handcuffs in anger. I had some food and water in me now. I had some energy back. I growled, imagining Harley being pushed around by those motherfuckers out there.
She looked so scared. I wanted to protect her. Get her out of this place.
Maybe she didn’t want to leave?
Maybe I was getting ahead of myself.
Maybe I was imagining the whole thing.
I closed my eyes and saw her face again, her perfect sleek golden hair, those big green eyes and bee-stung pink lips. I wanted to cover her with my body, carry her in my arms and out of this place. Take her somewhere where they could never reach her. I wanted to watch her blush and smile all day.
8
Harley
Harley
I rushed out of the cellar, feeling my heart racing maniacally in my chest. I shouldn’t have told him my name, I shouldn’t have said anything. I fed him because that was the least I could do for another human being, but I should have kept my mouth shut.
What overcame me to give him my name? The last thing I should have been doing was trusting him. No matter how hot and charming he was. Ultimately, he was the Hell’s Drifters’ prisoner. Caesar’s prisoner.
At the door, Carlos was waiting for me and he looked enraged. He grabbed me by my elbow before I could rush past him. He yanked me close to himself and I gasped.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, bitch?” he hissed. His face was close to mine. I was shuddering in his grip. Despite knowing that I used to be with Caesar, that I had a kid with him—none of the guys of the MC treated me with any respect. Caesar had set the trend of abuse and instilling fear in me and the others followed his lead.
“I…I…I gave him the food,” I said, squeaking, fumbling with my words. He could hit me, slap me around, bruise me. And I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. His fingers on my arm became tighter.
“You were in there for ten minutes. That’s how long it takes you to put a tray down?” he growled. I looked away from him, hoping he wouldn’t do anything more.
“I…he…I fed him the sandwich. His…hands…they are cuffed to a pipe. He…couldn’t eat,” I murmured. Carlos’ nostrils were flared. He was looking me over like I was a big juicy steak on his dinner plate. Then, just when I was about to give up, he released me.
“Fine. Whatever. Go over to the main room before I whoop your ass,” he said and now there was a laugh in his voice. My fear was funny to him. He was enjoying watching me cower like that. I wanted to burst into tears.
I moved away from him and nodded. I wanted nothing more right now than to be back home with Amanda in my arms. She was the only thing that could make me feel better about myself. I had managed to create this wonderful little girl.
I headed towards the main room as Carlos instructed me. My mind drifted to Dash, chained up in that stinky cold cellar. I felt stupid now, feeling sorry for myself—what was he going through? They must have beaten him really hard for the past two days. The way he wolfed down the food and water made me realize he’d been starving and thirsty all this while.
These people were monsters! No matter what Dash had done, he didn’t deserve to be treated like that. Not even an animal deserved to be treated like that!
I entered the main room, with Dash still on my mind and I saw Caesar, sit
ting on the big black couch.
Caesar had a big grin on his face and I knew he had been drinking. When was he not drinking?
“There you are!” he exclaimed and patted the seat next to him on the couch. I gulped but I walked towards him. What other choice did I have? I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that eight years ago, I had fallen for this guy. Granted, I was just seventeen and I was attracted to his bad-boy macho appeal, but what else was it?
Not even for a day had he made me feel safe or loved or appreciated. How foolish was I?
I sat down beside him and he wrapped an arm around my waist and yanked me closer to himself. I could smell the alcohol on his breath, it was beginning to make me sick.
“It’s nice having you around,” he hissed menacingly, while I tried not to gag or cry. Every time he was close to me, I was filled with fear. Caesar was unpredictable, dangerous and violent. I could never know for sure what he would do next. Without instigation, he could slap me for looking at him wrong. Nothing I did could ever be right.
While he held me close to himself, he placed a hand on my knee. It was covered in grime from the cellar floor when I was kneeling on it earlier. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice or ask me questions. Slowly, he was moving his hand up my knee and thigh.
I had to do everything in my power to not push him away. Any act of disobedience on my part would be met with violence. I had learnt that the hard way. And after seven years of this torture, I should have gotten used to him and his behavior but I hadn’t. I still lived in constant fear of him.
Every morning I woke up and wished he would die. A thought that scared me because I would never have wished harm on another human being.
Marked Skulls MC Series: Books 1-5 Page 61