by Erin Trejo
“You did good, Prez. He’d be proud.”
Hearing Stoney say the words that I’d been thinking just settles me. I know I’m young. I know I don’t look like the typical MC Prez, but I sure as fuck know what I’m doing.
Chapter 4
Ariel
I lie awake hearing the footsteps as they pad toward my room. Ava is fast asleep, as she should be, but I know what’s coming tonight. Father told me at dinner that there were a few men who needed to cleanse. I shuddered at the thought of who it might be. In the time that I’ve been here and have been used, I realize that this isn’t normal. No man should be able to do what he pleases to me. Some days I wonder if that’s why we are allowed to attend public schools; they want us to know what the real world is like but at the same time they want us to fear what we have here. I’m confused and conflicted but I do know that one day I would love to see what’s out there. My door creaks open and someone walks inside.
“Ariel. Come with me.”
The deep voice sends a chill down my spine. I sit up and throw my legs over the edge of the bed and stand, walking toward the dark shadow. When I’m close enough, I realize who it is. Jimmy. He’s one of the worst men here. He’s abusive but he always claims the Lord instructed him to hurt us. He leads me down the hallway to the end room where a majority of the cleanses take place. I have heard at school that home should be a safe place. My home isn’t.
“You will be surprised with who is here for you tonight. Do not make a sound and do not deny him.” Just hearing that causes bile to race up my throat. The end door is opened, and when I step in, I gasp.
“You will allow Mark to cleanse himself in you, Ariel. Once he is finished, I will be next.” I take a step back knowing that this would just kill Ava if she knew. She’s had a crush on Mark since we were young but crushes aren’t allowed here. Now that Mark has turned eighteen he too needs to cleanse. Mark watches me unsure of what to do when Jimmy grabs the back of my neck roughly. His fingers dig into my flesh painfully as he thrusts me forward. I stumble but right myself quickly when he tears my night gown from my body. Standing naked in front of Mark is unnerving but this isn’t anything I haven’t had done to me before.
“Get on the bed, Ariel,” Jimmy says in a grim tone. I do as I’m told, climbing on the bed. Jimmy climbs on behind me, pulling me back into his arms.
“Now, Mark. Cleanse in her, son,” he orders Mark.
Mark stands pulling his clothes off as Jimmy’s rough hands move over my breasts. The feeling isn’t good, especially when it’s him touching me. He fondles me as Mark climbs on the end of the bed. I close my eyes not wanting to see the look in his eyes.
“Now, Mark!” Jimmy growls causing me to jolt. His grip on me tightens, one hand sliding up around my throat. Panic races through me as he squeezes lightly to keep me silent. Mark pushes into me as tears silently fall down my cheeks. I don’t know how long this goes on for because I close myself down and allow myself to drift somewhere else. Anywhere else but here. I often dream of going to the ocean and basking in the warmth that the sea has to offer.
I’m so lost in myself in my thoughts that I didn’t notice that Mark left the room. Jimmy hovers over me, menace in his eyes. He’s evil and I know it. I don’t care what anyone says, no one can make me believe that this is what God has planned for me.
“You didn’t pay attention to him. That was wrong, Ariel.” He forces his way inside of me, pain ricocheting through my body. I try to clench my eyes shut but his hand comes up to grip my face roughly forcing me to open my eyes.
“You look away and I will make it far worse!” His words cause me to focus on his eyes. The eyes of a man who will forever haunt my dreams. Each thrust, each bite of pain will be cemented into my brain. Jimmy pulls back, pushing my thighs apart. His razor like nails drag down my thighs as I bite my lip until I taste blood. I can feel blood rushing to the surface of my skin and I can’t do anything about it.
“You bleed for me, my child. You cleanse me,” he growls as he thrusts a few more times. When he’s finished he simply gets up and leaves. I’m left to my own agony and the pain and shame they have inflicted on me. Shoving myself off the bed, I walk to the bathroom and turn on the shower. In here, I can cry. In this bathtub, I can be ashamed of what’s been done to me, of what I’ve let them do. I could fight. I could scream but the outcome would be far worse. I slide down and sit in the tub watching the water turn pink as it washes away the wounds that will forever scar my heart. Lowering my head, I find myself drawn to suicide for this very reason. It’s a sin and I know it is, but could the Devil possibly be worse than these men? Could going to hell be worse than where I am now? I find myself thinking it over more than I should but every single time my mind drifts back to Ava. What would happen to her? Would she bear the punishments that were meant to be mine? I couldn’t allow that to happen to her. Instead, I wipe my eyes, pull myself up, and wash before heading back into my room where sleep will never come for me tonight.
Chapter 5
Q
Balls deep inside some random pussy. That’s how my day is going. I don’t know who the hell she is or what her name is. I think she said it was Ira or Irene - I don’t fucking know. All I know is she’s tight as hell and lets me do what I want. Holding her hips in my hands, I thrust roughly into her. She screams my name as I pump in and out. I lean down over her back, letting my hand wrap around her neck. She moans as I squeeze harder and fuck her senseless. My cock loves the way she clamps down around me, her walls contracting and holding me hostage.
“Fuck,” I grumble as my balls tighten up and explode inside of her.
“Q! Make me come!” s1he squeals but I don’t give a shit about her. I needed a release and she was willing to bend over.
“Shut up!” I growl as I pump my hips into her. Pounding on the door has me pulling out quickly.
“What the fuck?” I roar as I grab my jeans and jerk them on before walking toward the door. Flinging it open, I raise my eyebrows at Stoney as he smirks at me.
“What the hell do you want?”
“Got a problem you might wanna get in on,” he says, looking around me to see who I have in my bed. Sick fucker.
“What problem?” Scratching at my neck, I wait for him to answer.
“Thrash and his crew are headin’ this way as we speak. Thought we might cut them off before they get too close to the clubhouse.” As soon as the words leave his mouth, I move. Grabbing my shirt, I pull it on before my cut. Dropping on the edge of the bed, I pull my socks and boots on.
“How many?” I ask as I stand and buckle my belt.
“About ten. Not everyone but they’re still movin’ in,” Stoney tells me.
“Q! You can’t just leave me like this,” the bitch says from the bed next to me.
I look over my shoulder and wink. “Just did, darlin’.” I follow Stoney out into the main room where all the guys are ready to move.
“We go on foot. Cut them off before they get too close. Any idea what the fuck they want?” I glance around at the guys but they all shake their heads. I don’t have a fucking clue and to be honest, I don’t want to deal with their petty bullshit today.
“Let’s go,” I thunder, heading out the front door. Nodding at the guys I put out to guard the gates, we walk through and down the road.
“Maybe I can kill somethin’ today,” Roman grumbles as he walks up next to me.
“Could be fun. Just make sure you clean up your mess.” Chuckling we walk a little farther until I pull my gun out. Letting it hang at my side, I see the assholes walking toward us.
“You comin’ this way for a reason?” I ask when the bastard is close enough to hear me. This is Dark Savage turf.
“You got something I want, man.”
“And you thought walkin’ up on me like this is the way to get it? Couldn’t call and make an appointment like a normal person?” I ask, making my guys chuckle.
“We know you hit that warehouse, Q! We want in o
n the next job,” Thrash says, keeping his head held high.
“The next job? Who the hell said there’d be more? And who the fuck do you think you’re talkin’ to right now? You ain’t MC, Thrash. You’re a low class dealer. You peddle my shit, makin’ you my bitch! Who the hell do you think you are comin’ around here askin’ for handouts?” Raising my gun, the guys do the same. Thrash moves, raising his just the same when I hear screams. I don’t look to see where they are coming from even though we’re on a public road having this showdown but I got the cops on payroll thanks to Savage so I’m not worried at all.
“I’m no one’s bitch! We want in, Q!” Just as I’m about to say more a few girls come laughing and running in between us. Knowing Thrash’s take on harming women, thinking quickly, I nod to Stoney. We each grab a girl but one gets away. Pressing my gun to her temple, she sobs.
“Stop tryin’ to play in the big leagues, Thrash! We all remember what happened to your sister and I know you got a few more.” Hit him where it hurts. I know his sister was killed a few years ago by her boyfriend, which is why Thrash hates the abuse of women of any kind. I can’t say that I’m the same.
“Don’t do that shit, Q!” he growls, but I just smile.
“Turn and walk away, man. There ain’t no jobs for you here and there won’t be unless I say so. You picked the wrong MC to run up on, Thrash,” I inform him.
His eyes move over the girls and it make me wonder if he knows them. Something inside says that he does or his reaction wouldn’t be like that, but I could be wrong. Nevertheless, they will be mine until further notice. Thankfully they are the only two girls out here. I don’t need the extra shit.
“This isn’t over, Q. I could turn you in for that shit.” He points at me as I press the gun against this girl’s temple a little harder.
“You could do that but where’s your proof?” I chuckle.
Thrash nods his head like he’s king of the fucking world. He walks backward, keeping his eyes on me the whole time.
“Stupid fuck,” I growl before looking over at Stoney.
“What are we doin’ with these?” he asks with a nod to the girl in his arms. She’s young but she’s pretty, aside from the weird plain ass dress she has on. Big green eyes stare back at me as I let my gaze roam up and down her body.
“He might come back. We keep ‘em,” I say. The girl’s mouth parts as if she wants to say something, but the one in my arms shakes her head.
“Listen to her. Keep your fuckin’ mouth shut,” I order. The girl’s mouth quickly closes as I usher the other one back down the road. Stoney’s girl is quiet and calm walking but mine? No, she wants a good fight. She tries to pull away from me but I hold on tighter. I lift her off the ground, tossing her over my shoulder as she kicks and punches me. It’s almost amusing that she’s as weak as she is.
“Stop fightin’ me, darlin’.” I stuff my gun back into my jeans before slapping her ass roughly. She must not be into that kind of kink since she just fights harder. Roman opens the clubhouse door as we walk through the gates. The motherfucker is laughing his ass off at the situation I’m in.
“You always get the fighters, brother,” he says as I chuckle and walk inside.
“Where you want em, Prez?” Stoney asks as his girl stands still in front of him. Mine isn’t screaming, which is weird but she sure as hell is still fighting me.
“Basement for now.” With a nod he heads to the basement door with me right behind him. He veers left and I go right. Separate rooms for now until I figure out what the hell is going on.
“You gonna calm down?” I ask stepping inside the small room and closing the door behind me. All the fight leaves her when I set her on her feet. She stands tall, maybe five six as she stares up at me. In the dimly lit room, I gasp.
“You’re sisters?” I ask her but she just nods. Her big green eyes have small specks of gold in them. I’m close enough now to see that difference between her and her sister.
Chapter 6
Ariel
He stands in front of me, taller than I am. I can’t help but stare at him though. He is pretty. His face is that of a boy yet he’s a man. His light brown hair hangs around his face as he peers down at me, his light honey colored eyes burning through me.
“I just need to figure shit out and then I’ll let you go in with your sister, yeah?”
He speaks but I won’t give him the right to hear me. Why should I? He stole us. I should have known better than to go with Ava and her friend, sneaking out of school. I can only imagine the punishment we are going to receive once we are returned. A shiver races over my body and the man in front of me can see it. He smirks as though it’s funny.
“It’s not cold in here. What’s wrong?” he asks, his bright eyes moving over me.
“Are you mute?” he presses me further but I shake my head.
“So you’re just bein’ a bitch? I get it. You want to be treated like a bitch, I can do that, little girl.”
That makes me angry. Being called a little girl all my life has really made that statement worse coming from him. He turns to leave the room when I say what I’ve been thinking for a long time.
“I’m not a little girl,” I say through clenched teeth, no longer able to keep my mouth shut.
The man turns around, his eyes on me once more. His mouth curls into a smile when he says, “She speaks.”
“I am not a little girl. I haven’t been for a long time,” I tell him although I have no idea why it matters. His eyes move over me once more before settling on my face.
“You look like a little girl. How old are you? Sixteen?”
Shaking my head slowly, I tell him, “We just turned eighteen.”
He doesn’t move. “We?”
“Me and my sister. We’re twins.”
“Not identical,” he adds. My mouth hangs open with that. No one has ever noticed the difference in us and it makes me wonder how he does.
“How do you know that?” The man steps closer to me, mere inches away. I can smell him and he smells nothing like the men at the compound. I inhale deeply, wanting to hold onto that difference for as long as I can.
“You’re shorter and have gold flecks in your eyes. Your sister doesn’t. What were you doin’ with those guys?” he asks, his words causing me to step back.
“We weren’t with them.”
“Where’d you come from? A goddamn cult? You’re dressed like one,” he says motioning toward my dress.
All the air escapes my lungs. How does he know? How could he?
“You won’t return us, will you?” My voice sounds timid, but now that we’re out of there, I don’t know if I want to go back. We’re free. We are finally free. “Please, sir. Don’t make us go back there. I beg you.” Grabbing the front of his shirt, I risk the chance of being hit like at the compound, but I can’t stop myself. We’re free! The man stands still as a statue before he raises his hands and wraps them around my wrists, pushing me back off of him.
“You are one of them, aren’t you? Fuck. I’ve heard about that shit but I’ve never seen it. You all fuck each other and stuff, yeah?” His words burn. He says stuff like he knows, but he knows nothing of what our lives are like.
“Not by choice.”
“You mean they rape you? They force you?” He seems genuinely interested and that confuses me.
I tilt my head to the side and think before I speak. “You are going to return us, aren’t you.” His eyes are like fire and I’m a moth. I want to reach into him and touch, I want to see if the burn is as bad as I think it will be.
“Didn’t plan on keepin’ you,” he says smoothly.
“We can clean and cook. You just tell us what to do, we will do it. Just please, don’t send us back there.” I’m not against begging him. We’re finally out of that place and I never want to go back.
“What makes you think it’ll be any better here?” he asks, cocking his head to the side to look at me. His thin lips curl once more into a smile. �
�Behave and you can share the room with your sister.”
He steps toward the door and the thought of throwing myself in front of him crosses my mind, but maybe he’s right. How do I know that it’s better here? I don’t know that. He opens the door and calls out to his friend who brings Ava in the room. She rushes to me, throwing her arms around me as they both watch. Sobs shake her body but she holds me tightly.
“It’s okay. We’re free of them now,” I whisper as I keep my eyes on the men. We might be free of the compound but what are we getting into here?
“What’s your name?” the pretty one asks.
“Ariel. This is Ava.”
“I’m Q. I’ll get you some clothes and things so you can shower and have someone bring you some food.” He seems nice enough so I nod my head. The door closes and I collapse with Ava in my arms onto the bed behind me.
“Where are we, Ariel?” I lift her face and wipe her eyes.
“I don’t know just yet, but we aren’t on the compound and that’s what’s important. We’re free, Ava.” As the words soothe her, they make me nervous. For some reason I feel like we have just traded one hell for another and Q is the leader of that hell.
Chapter 7
Q
I sent the prospect and a few club girls down to the basement with things for the girls. Stoney, Roman, and I sit at the bar drinking and discussing what to do with them.
“You think they’re in with Thrash and his crew?” Stoney asks taking his shot and tossing it back. I shake my head as I swallow mine.
“Nah. They don’t fit in with his crew. Did you look at them? I asked that girl and she said they were part of some cult shit.”
