No one blames me for it, but I blame myself. It’s why I took on the loan shark part of things when I did.
Sighing, I glance down at Ainslee’s face and try to calm myself. I’ve never told her the extent of what happened to my cousin or Mara-Lee. Their stories aren’t mine to tell. But she knows I protect the girls who work for me at Night’s Bliss with my life. I’ll do the same for the girl. I had them bring her to the Fort last night.
Mara-Lee told me before Ainslee got home, the girl’s name is Eliya. She woke up in a panic after getting to the Fort, and Mara-Lee ended up giving her a sleeping pill to knock her out. With everything she’s been through, Eliya needs to rest. Her body’s been through so much already, and I can’t imagine what her mindset is like right now.
Not wanting to wake Ainslee yet, I decide to let her sleep in. After last night she deserves to get some good rest. Sliding out of bed, I pull the covers tighter around her. I dress quietly in a pair of running shorts and a tank top. This will be a quick trip. If Dominic wasn’t low on diapers, I’d just put in an order online and just go pick it up later, but I’m afraid I can’t wait. We’re one blowout away from chaos.
Dressed, I walk back to my side of the bed, place a knee on it and lean down to press a chaste kiss to Ainslee’s lips. “I’ll be back soon,” I whisper.
Ainslee mumbles in her sleep and buries her head deeper into her pillow, still sound asleep.
Smiling, I leave the room and go check on Dominic. I find him fast asleep. Heading downstairs, I stop in the kitchen, write a note for Ainslee just in case she wakes up with Dom before I get back. I grab a banana, peel the skin off, and start eating it while heading toward the garage where I parked my car last night.
Once I’m behind the wheel, I start the engine and press the brake. Putting it in gear, I hit the garage opener. I wait for it to open just enough for me to get out. Only then do I press down on the gas and take off.
I roll the windows down and let in the morning air. As I go around one of the sharper curves, I take note of the vehicle coming up on my ass. I watch it for a while and realize it’s making every turn I do. Internally, I know this isn’t good.
The road I’m taking to get to Princess Ann Boulevard is curvy and two lanes. One going each way. If you speed on it, you take the chance of either hitting someone or going into the swamp, which is right there at the edge of the road. In some places, it’s not so bad but where we are right now is one of the worst parts.
Whoever’s behind me is crazy as hell. I brace myself as we come up on the sharpest curve on this road. There’s no way he’s not going to hit me, and I’m right. His front end connects with my back, sending me straight into the swamp.
It happens in slow motion, my body jolting forward before my head collides with the steering wheel. I come back against the seat again and another hit to the steering wheel, and the only thing I see is stars. Throbbing pain plagues me, and I do my best to keep myself calm, focusing on my breathing as I analyze the situation.
Dammit. I’ve been in wrecks before and it’s never pleasant, but shit, smashing your face into the steering wheel fuckin’ hurts. I’m not even going to question why the airbags didn’t deploy.
No, I need to get out of the car, find the asshole who hit me, and beat the hell out of him for it. Then I need to call Cedric and a tow company to come get the damn car out of the swamp.
I unbuckle my seatbelt and try to shake off the pain in my head. I ignore the throbbing ache while I push open my door. Before I can climb out, I find myself being yanked out as something pricks my neck.
I lift my head to find a man who can’t be older than his early twenties sneering down at me. “You can thank your little bitch of a girlfriend for what’s about to happen to you.”
Shit.
This must be Victor, the guy Ainslee was telling me about last night after our rounds of sex.
On that thought, everything goes dark.
I wake up startled by the pain in my face. Upon opening my eyes, everything looks odd. I move my arms and the clack of restraints makes me realize what’s happened. I’m suspended in the air horizontally with my legs spread, and my arms are behind my back. But the worst part . . . I’m naked.
“Wake up, whore,” the vile man speaks to me once again, nothing but pure evil coming from him.
I open my eyes to meet the guy’s gaze. Behind him, he’s standing with a couple other men, only they’re a few feet behind him. Off to the side of the room, I spot movement and know exactly who it is—Lacey. From the looks of it, they’ve worked her over.
“The almighty thinks she can protect the women who work for her. Finley Keahi,” Victor snickers, “we’re going to have fun with you.”
“Go to hell,” I snap. I’m not about to let this little dickweed or anyone else in this room get away with it.
Chuckling, Victor steps forward to stand between my legs. I inwardly cringe when his fingers invade my body. He smiles maliciously. “I’m going somewhere but not before I fuck you. Your little whore fucked with the wrong people, Finley. We’ll do to you what she needs to have done to her. It’s only fair after all for her to share her suffering with you.”
Once he finishes his little statement, he removes his fingers from my center and brings them to his mouth while using his free hand to undo his jeans. I don’t look down. I keep my gaze locked on his and envision slitting his chicken neck throat.
“You taste sweeter than I imagined,” Victor murmurs, licking his fingers. “My boys will enjoy finishing up with Lacey while I have my fun with you.” Victor brings his hands to grip either side of my hips and thrusts himself inside me.
Only then do I close my eyes and try to think of anything else while I endure the invasion. Lacey’s cries and men grunting is all that fills the room. I refuse to let them break me. No matter what. Even if they all rape me, I won’t let it happen.
If Ainslee could make it through her hell, I can make it through this.
Chapter Ten
Ainslee
“Look at you, my smart boy.” I smile as Dominic grabs the blocks and puts them in the holes. An ad for this toy came up on my Instagram feed, and I thought I should give it a try. The company sends toys every month to your baby based on their age and developmental stage. Dominic smiles wide and bursts out into laughter.
I sense an eerie feeling, so I look around to find Cedric standing in the doorway. Concern is written across his face. “What’s the matter?” I question him immediately, rising off the couch and walk over to him. I turn back for a moment to see Dominic still playing with his blocks.
“Have you heard from Finley?”
“No, why?” My heart begins beating a million miles a minute. “What’s happened, Cedric?” My voice grows with concern, but who could blame me?
“No one’s spoken to her since this morning. She sent a text to Mara-Lee around six in the morning, but since then, she’s been AWOL.”
At his words, I rush over to where Dom is and grab my phone from the coffee table. I unlock it, tap on my messages and click Finley’s name. The last message I have from her was from last night when she said she was on her way home. God, I know this can’t be good.
I run into the kitchen since Finley usually leaves notes on a whiteboard for me when she leaves. Sure enough, I find one saying she’ll be back in a couple hours, that she has to run errands. I glance over to the clock and it’s a bit past two. Surely, she’d be back by now.
I have to think fast. I have to. “I need Mara-Lee to take Dominic until this is sorted. I have to . . . I need to . . .” I don’t know what the hell I’m saying as shock wipes its way through my body.
“Ainslee,” Cedric states my name firmly, looking straight into my eyes. “We’re going to find her. Do you hear me? We’re going to get her back.”
I nod at his words, and Cedric pulls out his phone to call Mara-Lee. Within fifteen minutes, she’s at the house and is sitting down on the couch, watching Dominic play with his block
puzzle. “I know I don’t have to say this, but I’m gonna say it anyway. Keep me updated and make sure whoever dared cross us never does it again.” Mara-Lee’s expression is serious until Dominic squeals with excitement and laughs. She matches his attitude even as the heaviness in the room is evident. My girlfriend is missing, and we all know it.
Cedric and I walk side by side as we make our way out of the Fort. “Do you know where she was heading? Her car’s not here,” I tell him, and his eyes meet with my own for a moment.
I think back for a moment and then realize I forgot to get diapers yesterday. Fuck. I meant to on the way home, but I was so clouded with guilt after what happened at the party. “Hold on a sec,” I mutter to Cedric and go back to the front door. I open it and speak to Mara-Lee. “We’re out of diapers. I’ll get someone to bring some by, okay?”
“Alright, we’ll manage until then,” Mara-Lee replies.
I shut the door and look back at Cedric, whose narrowed eyes make me believe he has a thought. “What is it?”
“Finley, she would’ve realized you were out too, right?”
I scoff, “Yeah, I’m surprised she doesn’t make a spreadsheet and analyze how many he uses per day.” She’s the type of woman who likes to see figures, not that I can blame her. She works with money every day, so she’s bound to want to track where it’s going, what she’s spending, etc. Though, it somehow hits every other part of her life too.
“Ainslee, where would she have gone for diapers?” Cedric asks, and I realize where his head is going.
Cedric and I get in his vehicle and take the route Finley would’ve. She’s a local, so she knows all the backroads and whatnot, but when she’s in a hurry, she always takes the interstates. We get up to the swampy area, and I spot a car half in the water, half out of it.
Cedric pulls the car over and he looks through my window, confirming it’s Finley’s car because he knows her license plate by heart. We both agree she would’ve been able to get out of this situation, but he goes out into the swamp to verify. Thankfully, he doesn’t find a body, which gives us hope.
Cedric looks down at his phone and purses his lips together, almost like he’s fighting an internal battle. “Fuck,” he curses lowly and taps away on the screen. He has the phone pressed to his ear and he’s speaking so quietly, but I hear the words ‘I need a favor’. I don’t know who he’s talking to, but what I do know is the anger on his face is growing with each word said on the other end.
“I don’t fucking care what the price is. Tell me what I need to know!” Cedric screams into the phone, and after a few moments of silence, he speaks up, “E49-4NK”. He’s reading off her license plate number.
I await in silence and text Mara-Lee an update, tell her Cedric called in some favor, and they’re running her license plate number. By the time I click send, he’s clenching his jaw tightly. “Registered to who?”
More silence fills the car.
“Where did it go? Can you track it through footage, speed cameras, anything?” I don’t know who he’s speaking to, but this person must be important, especially if they can access all this information.
“Perfect.” Cedric ends the call, throws the car into gear, and presses on the gas like his life depends on it.
“What’s happening, Cedric?” I ask, terrified Finley’s in even more danger than we thought.
“The car that ran Finley’s off the road, it’s registered to Lacey. I called someone who was able to tell me where a camera caught the last image of Lacey’s car. It’s in a parking lot to an old storage unit building. We’re on the way there right now.”
“How long? How long until we get there?”
“With my driving, ten minutes tops.” Cedric snickers and slams his foot down on the gas.
We arrive, and the place we roll up to is abandoned. There’s caution tape around certain parts of the chain-link fence and Cedric’s surveying the area. My gun is holstered to my hip, so I’m ready for whatever the fuck we’re about to walk into.
Cedric puts the SUV in park, directly outside the gates, and I get out of the car. We’ve got each other’s backs, and I know if push comes to shove, he’ll get Finley out of this. If it comes down to it, I’d gladly die if it means she can continue living. I love her this much, enough to give my life for hers.
Cedric pulls back a broken piece of chain link, and I duck and walk through. Once I’m through, I hold the fencing back for him, and he walks in. “Fuck, it looks like we walked into something from Silent Hill.”
I nod in agreement but stay quiet. We’re so close, and it’s very possible my emotions could come rushing to the surface if I’m not careful.
Cedric and I walk forward until we spot a cinderblock holding a door open. He waves with his hand and unholsters his gun. I follow right behind him. Each step he takes is calculated, ready to handle whatever comes his way. This place is massive, so I have no idea where we’re going.
I tap him on the back of the shoulder, knowing I don’t need to stand behind him. He’s only doing this because of Finley because he vowed to protect me the same way he’d protect her. I’m not some frou-frou bitch, though. I’m in a club. I’m part of the Iron Vex MC. I was trained to handle situations like this.
Cedric turns and looks at me, so I motion with my hand for us to fan out, and he clenches his jaw. He doesn’t like what I’m doing, but he’ll have to accept it. Finley isn’t my keeper. I love her to death, but there’re certain things I can’t do. Things I won’t do. I’m not going to have her fear of something happening to me hold me back from my duties to the club.
I walk across the hallway, and we both clear the open units one by one. We head down until we hit some sort of office from the looks of it. The door is barely cracked and there are floodlights on the inside. I see straps hanging from the ceiling and notice Finley’s detailed tattoos. I want nothing more than to run up to her and make sure she’s okay, but I have to make sure shite is clear in here first.
Cedric and I stealthily walk into the room. There’s no one here besides Lacey, who’s hanging from straps just like Finley. It’s a damn ghost town. Cedric peels off his shirt and hands it to me. I gladly take it and go up to Finley, holster my gun and pull out my knife, cutting her down. “Fin, baby, it’s me,” I speak in a low tone of voice since she’s not awake, but she stirs just as one of the straps lets loose.
“Cedric, a little help would be nice,” I grumble toward the entrance of the room, but he’s standing guard.
“Can’t do it, Ainslee. Not unless you want us to get rushed up on,” Cedric replies, keeping his eyes in front of him.
Fuck, fine. I know he’s right. I only wish we had more people with us. “Ains?” Finley calls me by my nickname and reaches out for me.
“Yeah, baby, it’s me. Hold onto my neck, okay?” I cut the second strap as she wraps her arms around my neck so her upper body doesn’t hit the floor. I proceed to cut the straps on her legs and lower her to the ground.
Her face is purple and blue, showing me she wasn’t only defiled based on her naked state. She was hit too. God, this is something I never wanted her to experience. When I had my son, I was raped. He was a product of rape, and now she knows the same violated pain I will forever remember. When something so traumatic happens to you, it’s like it becomes burned into your memory. You can never forget it, no matter how much you try.
I open the collar of Cedric’s shirt and put it over her head, careful of her injuries, and then we work together to get the rest through. “We need to get you to the doctor,” I tell her.
“No.” Finley’s adamant, and the anger in her eyes is obvious.
“Fin, I need you to go to the doctor. Please, for me, for Dom.” I know it’s hard right now, but she’ll see reason. She always does.
Finley grits, “Fine, take me to Connors. I won’t see anyone else.”
“Cedric, come here and help me get Finley out of this hellhole,” I call over to him, and he rushes over. I slide an arm around
Finley, and he does the same. The woman wouldn’t ever let us carry her out of here. No, she’d want to walk out. Only, this time she’ll get some deserved help.
“Lacey,” Finley says, causing Cedric and I to look over at the bloody and bruised woman. She’s naked as well, but blood drips down from her head. “Shoot her. They hit her head with a brick when she wouldn’t stop screaming.”
I want to say she deserves what happened to her, but no one deserves this. I unholster my gun, point, and shoot her in the skull, ending the pain and suffering. Placing my gun back in my holster, I look at Finley and Cedric. “Let’s get out of here.”
Epilogue
Finley
3 Months Later . . .
For the past two weeks, I’ve been feeling sick to my stomach. At first, I thought I had a stomach bug, but the longer it’s been lingering, the more concerned Ainslee, Mara-Lee, and Cedric were becoming. They refused to let me overwork myself, but it’s been hard. I’ve only known working myself to the grave. I think it’s what I do to deal with my past trauma and shit. If I keep busy, I don’t think about it.
After Ainslee and Cedric found me in that house, everyone has been walking on eggshells with me. I hate it, but I get why they’re doing it. I would be doing the same thing if it were someone else. They don’t need to be worried about me, though. I made it through. I’m a survivor.
Today, I’m going to the doctor at Ainslee’s request to be checked out. But I haven’t made it easy on her. I won’t be checked by anyone other than Connors, one of the ol’ ladies at the Devil’s Riot MC. Ainslee and the rest of them don’t know I went to her after what Victor did to me. She did a full work-up for me at the time to make sure I didn’t catch anything. When she cleared me of any STDs or STIs, I finally allowed myself to even think about touching Ainslee.
“Hey, you’re going to the doctor today, right?” Ainslee asks, holding Dominic in her arms. He’s smiling and focusing on her long, copper hair. He’s obsessed with it. Then again, I am too.
Finley's Adoration Page 5
