He made a foolish mistake. He doesn't see me as a threat, the same way he did that night at the concert when I held a gun to him. I cross the room slowly, the moon catching the metal of the blade making it twinkle. So, fucking beautiful.
He doesn’t stir as something rushes through my veins much stronger than any drug he’s given me. My lips twitch into a smirk, oh Joker… if only you knew what’s coming!
I grab at his dirty black hair, feeling the grease between my fingers. His eyes spring open, wide, relaxing slightly when he sees me… that is until he feels the blade pressing at his neck.
I smirk the way Horse did. I can feel them all in the room with me. Beast, Cub, Horse, Cross, all the brothers that have lost their lives to this sick piece of shit.
“See you in hell, Baby,” I whisper, my breathing ragged as I pull the blade across his skin. Any words he was going to say are lost in the gurgling of his blood. I watch him, smiling, my eyes never leaving his, making sure I’m the last thing he sees as the life seeps from him.
Licking the blade clean I smile.
Then I hear HIS voice as if it’s right next to me.
Run Baby Girl, fucking run.
Chapter Ten
Kate opens the door, her eyes wide. No words are spoken as she follows me to the clubhouse, into my old room. It’s filled with so much dust that you can feel it heavy on your lungs. A black cover and pink cushions still sit on the bed as if I’d just walked out only a few hours ago. I shake my head as ghosts from the past threaten to suffocate me, lifting the window and looking down. It looks much higher than it used to. When Kate turns towards me, I grab and hold her tight, the pain and the torture bringing us together in the same way as it repels us. A shared shame washes over us, but right here, right now, none of that matters.
“I love you, Baby Girl.” Her voice is etched in pain and sorrow for the future we’ve lost.
“I love you, Kate,” I manage in a hoarse whisper, willing back the tears.
“I’ll come back, I swear, I‘ll bring help.” She shakes her head,
“It's too late, just go and never stop.” Giving me another watery smile before disappearing, but I send her a silent promise… to Kate… to the girl who once slept on that bed… to Beast, Cub, Horse, Cross and all the Hells both dead and alive.
I will be back.
I slip around the clubhouse seeing Dallas, Beast’s old road captain, and his eyes catch mine in the dark. I lift a finger to my lips as I creep up behind one of the Lords, pulling my knife out quickly, and before he can blink he’s on the floor, eyes wide in fear as his hands cover his throat, blood pouring through his fingers.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Dallas looks at me in part anger, part concern.
“I'm getting out of this place, getting help.”
No one had escaped, the only path to freedom was death. I was going to change all that.
“I can do it.” I hiss when he doesn’t say anything, and he smiles down at me. “Yeah, you fucking can. But you're going to need help.” I shake my head. If they find out he helped, they’ll kill him.
Before I can blink, he starts howling and running in the opposite direction of the back yard where I know there's a way-out. Cub and I used it all the time.
“Hells forever, Lords can suck my fucking big black dick,” he shouts, grabbing his junk, the biggest smile I’ve seen on his face in years. He winks at me, just as a stampede of feet race past my hiding space. They all attack him, and I muffle back a cry when I see him fall to the ground to catch his eyes one more time.
“I love you,” I mouth to see a broad smile take over his face before the pain rips it away. Turning, I run across the wet grass when I hear someone shout behind me. Scrabbling under the small hole in the fence, the metal wire digs into my back. I bite back any sound, hoping the darkness will give me a few more minutes cover. As I move, the metal drags down my back with a searing pain, and a whimper leaves my lips as I finally break free.
I’m quickly up and running in no particular direction as I hit the outside world, something I haven't seen in over four years.
My feet pound the earth beneath me, my breathing ragged, lungs screaming for the oxygen they desperately need. I slide in the mud from last night's rain but wasting no time, I’m back up again. I don’t dare look back, but the voices following me gradually start to fade, and the silence is filled by the sound of my heart beating wildly in my chest. Something strong pumps through my veins, an almost primal survival instinct that pushes my legs on- harder and stronger until the voices behind me completely disappear.
But still, I don’t turn around, I won’t stop running. Turning a corner, I almost run into the wall of a building and realise that I’ve reached the town. Pushing off the wall, I race down behind the shops, dodging bins and other piles of rubbish.
Skidding, I fall to my knees, feeling the rough concrete as it rips open the fabric of my jeans, before puncturing the skin of my knees and hands. Not even blinking, I’m back up running - barely registering the pain.
Breaking into the high street, my eyes dart frantically to every corner. Holding my breath, I run towards a gap between two buildings and race down the alley to the other side. Plastering myself against the wall, I hiss as my back touches the roughness, my breathing coming in harsh pants, causing my chest to rise and fall rapidly. My heart is beating so furiously that I’m sure it's going to break out of my body. I wipe the blood from my hands against my jeans, smearing blood over the light denim. My eyes scan the surroundings like a trapped animal, caged and looking for a way out. Working out what to do next.
Looking back over my shoulder, I see that the alley behind is still empty, before flashing my eyes back to the main street, back over my shoulder. Pain, causes my chest to constrict, feeling as if it's on fire.
I listen carefully for the familiar roar of bikes, but can only hear the sounds of the traffic, mixed with the song of birds as the sun rises over the mountains. The noises surround me, taking over my senses.
I spin in a circle, trying to regain my bearings, covering my ears with my hands from all the heightened noise.
A blaring horn causes me to jerk my head towards the noise, following a truck that stops in Brandy’s gas station across the road. It’s a fair distance away and all in the open.
An overweight man gets out, his check flannel bursting and at least two sizes too small for his extra-large girth... jeans slung low below his belly. Grabbing the nozzle, he fills up the truck, all the while pulling at his jeans and trying to eat with his free hand, cursing as he drops the last bite on the floor. Kicking it with his boot under the truck, he pulls up his jeans before heading inside.
This is my chance.
Once more, I check up and down the street and glance behind me, listening for the sound of motorbikes, before I flick back to the gas station. Holding my breath, I race across the road, ignoring the loud beep of a horn.
Adrenaline shoots through me as I get closer to the old red truck, looking around one last time before I jump into the back and land with a dull thud… barely feeling the raw metal against my skin.
I grab an old brown blanket that smells of oil, and quickly cover my body, not daring to breathe as I hear the heavy boots of the trucker returning, hear him climb into the cab.
Then they come… the sounds so familiar… the roar of bikes. I guess there must be at least eight of them judging by the noise that breaks the peace of the morning.
Please…
What feels like an eternity, but in reality, is only a few minutes, I hear the deep rev of the engine as the truck starts up and falls into a steady rhythm.
My lungs ache as I hold my breath until everything starts to quieten down, until the noise of the street… the bikes… falls into the distance, knowing I’ve made it out of town, out of the club.
Taking in a gulping breath, tears start to fall. I bite my lip so hard that blood trickles down my chin as the pain from the last few years threatens
to engulf me. The image of Dallas, the way they attacked him flashes before me. I close my eyes to try and erase the images, already knowing they are burned into the very bones of me… just like the rest.
A jolt from the truck startles me, I must have fallen asleep and peeling back the blanket slightly, I see the sun burning high in the sky. Reality crashes into me with such a force, that if I wasn’t already lying down, I would have been knocked off my feet, unsure if I would ever get back up again.
As senses start coming back, I know that Slasher will never let me go, he will always be looking for me. A rush of terror ripples through me at what it will mean if they catch me. The truck starts to slow down and whipping off the filthy blanket, I peek over the metal sides. All around me are fields and trees – as far as the eye can see, and up ahead, I glimpse a small diner, the gleam of a bike parked up outside. My mind is made up.
1...2...3. I jump, hitting the floor with a thud that winds me, causing me to scream out in pain as my back connects with the floor. I must pass out for a second, as I blink up to see birds circling the skies. Quickly jumping to my feet, I pat myself down, finding my gun and knife. Without looking around, without even thinking about it, I run for the cover of a small thicket of trees.
I don’t stop until the diner is far out of sight and there is nothing to see except trees. The sun breaks through the leaves, causing the last rays of the day to dance in a pattern on the dark earth. I lean against a thick tree trunk, trying to breathe through my nose as my chest tightens and breathing starts to slow. The adrenaline is wearing off… pain taking its place, I try to lift my top only to find it stuck to my skin, and ripping it would only cause more pain. Tilting my head back against the rough bark, tears start to sting my eyes and nose. I squeeze my eyes tightly… this is not the time for tears nor grief.
When I open my eyes again, I notice the murky clouds have started to gather, claiming the last of the sunlight and draping the overgrown forest in darkness, leaving only the moon as my guide. Even she appears and disappears as if playing a game of hide and seek.
My legs are so tired that I decide to lay down, falling into a broken sleep. I dream about Cub… about seeing him again. Never did I believe that it was one dream close to becoming a reality.
I wake to the sound of birds and disoriented, it takes me a second to realise that I’m no longer at the club and the pain capturing my body isn’t another of Joker’s torture devices. I’m free for the moment, but that’s just an illusion. I would never be free of him, even in death, he would be my tormentor, taunting me with his sick smirk, his scars upon my skin. His marks still brand me.
I get up slowly, whimpering at every movement, the pain in my back makes me dizzy and leaning on the tree my body heaves, but there’s nothing to come up. I take a few deep breaths as I look ahead at the cover of the dense trees. Maybe I could stay here a little longer?
Run Baby Girl
Kate, Horse, Cross, Dallas… all their voice shout at me.
I take one slow footstep after another, walking through vines and undergrowth, ignoring the strings that catch my legs, and only stopping for brief seconds to catch my breath. My stomach growls, reminding me that Joker had starved me yesterday. My legs are weak, burning and feeling like jelly… every step shakier than the last. Just as the sun rises high in the sky, casting a warm fiery orange, the forest breaks out onto a small road. An old wooden sign has the words ‘Bakers View - Population 1300’ carved into it.
Taking a chance, I walk into town trying to stay in the shadows of the buildings and keeping away from the main street as much as I can. I keep vigilant, watching everything around me, but unable to take anything in.
I pass locals, all who know I don’t belong here, and my body grows tense, setting my heart pounding when I feel the attention on me. After a few hours of walking, I watch as a family disappears into a small diner. I can’t go on much further, but neither can I stop - knowing it would be way too dangerous.
Every mile away from the club counts, but where could I go? I had no one? The only money I have is what Kate slipped into my jeans pocket.
A flash of her face appears, her green eyes lost and haunted. I continue on, finding a map that I trace with my fingertips. I’ve already covered over a hundred miles, and it’s not far from the Mexican border.
A truck driver catches my attention coming out of the diner as I approach.
“Hey, can I get a lift somewhere?” His eyes widen when he sees me, looking over me and up and down the street.
“Please, I need to get out of here. I’ve got money.” I pull out a few notes and see his shoulders fall as he continues to watch me.
“How old are you darling.”
“Twenty.” He eyes me again, and nods.
“Come on, I’ve got a daughter your age and well… if she needed help...”. His words fall away as I let out a cry getting into his cab. Shaking his head, his eyes filled with concern.
“I hope you’ve left him for good?”
I don’t answer but look out the window.
“Here.” he passes me a flannel shirt, and it’s then I realise how much I’m shaking. I nearly cry when he hands me water and a sandwich.
“Where are we going?”
“Mexico. I can let you out anywhere along the way.” He glances at me, shoving the sandwich into my mouth as he starts the truck up.
“Is there any way you can get me to Mexico?”
His eyes widen when he realises, I’m serious before he nods.
“I’d be breaking the law, but I can hide you in the sleep department.”
Chapter Eleven
In the two years, I’ve been in Mexico, I still haven't stopped looking over my shoulder. I dyed my hair black, and with my tan, I’m barely recognizable. I don’t know what I expected my life in Mexico would be like, what help I would find? Instead, I was brought into a new type of hell.
After only being in Mexico a few days, I was caught on the streets by a group of guys. Handcuffed in the back of the van. I was brought to some sort of compound. They spoke angry Spanish around me, none of which I understood. Of course, I ran, only to be caught and beaten. I left one prison to find another. A Mexican gang now owned me. I was their number one drug mule before I moved up the ranks to street seller, and used the body I hated to pull in the customers. But then one night, it all changed.
“Karma, we need you to drop off a shipment.” I nod, at the nickname they’ve given me, not saying anything, as Juan stands forward, placing my gun and knife under my leather jacket. My dark hair is in a tight ponytail, lips painted crimson. Juan hands me the packets - eighteen of them, cocaine wrapped in plastic. I shove the first few in easy, then my stomach starts to reject them as I heave. Grabbing his beer, I swallow the remaining few. He nods - smirking.
We walk out of the house, the heat instantly making my skin glisten, and my thoughts turn to home. How is Kate? Are there any brothers left? A pain clenches my heart that I learn to dismiss as I get into the passenger side of his car. He speeds through the dusty narrow streets as if we’re chasing the last of the sun. When he gets into the clear, I watch his lip curve as we travel further away from the city.
As we turn a corner, we see a roadblock. Cursing in Spanish, his eyes flick to mine. I hear the one word that sends a shiver down my spine. Cartel.
They hate anyone who deals drugs in their city. Driving up slowly, he winds his window down speaking in Spanish, I zone out, when a figure catches my attention. He doesn’t have dark hair like the rest of them, it’s dirty blonde, shaved on one side, and any longer, it could be tied at the nape of his neck. His size and the hardness of his face remind me of a Viking. Wide shoulders, strong thighs, I squirm in my seat at the look of him. He wasn't just a man; he was king of his world. I could feel his power from here, the intensity that hung around him.
I break out of the trace as Juan opens the door, his eyes flicking to mine - a sad smile on his lips.
The men lead him away,
Run Baby Girl, fucking run.
I don’t give it a second thought, I’m out there - running in the heat hearing the heavy footsteps behind me, and just as his hand reaches me, my foot slips, and we fall down the side of a small hill. Somehow, I land on top of him, and his scent surrounds me, his amber eyes shining as if the devil himself is staring back at me. I scramble off him, as we both jump up, pull out our guns at the same time, pointing them at each other.
“No one ever pulls as quick as me.” He frowns, causing his dirty blonde brows to pull down, his eyes to harden.
My lips twitch, “Only met one other person who can draw as quick as me.”
Something passes across those amber eyes, and he shakes his head as if trying to get rid of a thought as he studies me harder.
“Nera?”
I take a step back, looking around - expecting the Lords to jump out at me, surround me – but I hold my gun steady.
“Who the fuck are you?”
His eyes widen at my response, blinking as he takes me in again. His next words change everything.
“Beau.”
To be continued ……………………
Connect with Raven Amor
This is Raven’s first book.
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Answer. ANYTHING and EVERYTHING...
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The Dark Kingdom Anthology Page 49
