“She didn’t tell you, did she?”
“Tell me what?”
“Tell you why she left and came to New York.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Still trying to work that out, but most likely to get intel for that fucker.”
I hear Jeff blow out a breath, then a loud tsk. “Man, you have no fuckin’ clue, do you? She left because that fucker was beating her.”
I stand, clenching my other fist against my side. “What did you fuckin’ say?”
“Got your attention now, don’t I?”
“What exactly do you mean?” If Jeff doesn’t stop fuckin’ around, so help me….
“Just like I said. She married him because her father’s a fucking asshole. He’s never treated her like his daughter, still blames her for her mom’s death. She married Viper at the time to make her old man happy, but all he did was beat her and rape her. She put up with it all, just to please her old man. Until—”
I don’t let Jeff finish his sentence. With all the anger boiling up inside me, I throw my phone against the wall, sucking in harsh breaths as what Jeff just revealed sinks in. That fuckin’ piece of shit raped and hit Tess—my Tess. Oh fuck, what have I done? I sent her back to him, that’s what I did. Fuck!
I run over to the phone still lying on the ground, relieved when I hear Jeff’s voice coming through. “Blaze, you there?”
I pick it up, then growl out, “When did she leave?”
“Um…. I….”
“Spit it out, Jeff!” I yell.
“Um… around five, I wasn’t sure If I should call you or not.”
I glance down at my watch; it’s almost seven. Two whole fuckin’ hours.
“What the fuck! You know it’s after seven now, Jeff?”
“Sorry, Blaze, but I had clients, and I’ve been figuring out whether to call you or not.”
“What the hell. Why wouldn’t you call me?”
“Because, man, she told me what you said to her, and that you didn’t want anything to do with her. Excuse me if I didn’t call you right away.”
“Listen here, dick, she never told me what he did to her. If she did….” My voice breaks as I run my hand through my hair. “Fuck!”
The other end of the phone is quiet, and then he speaks up. “This may not be my place, man, but have you thought that maybe she didn’t tell you because you never gave her a chance to explain? She loves you, Blaze. It wouldn’t have been an easy thing to say. God, to think she was married to that guy….”
“But we were in love! Fuck me, but I asked her to marry me. Why couldn’t she trust me?” I sink onto the edge of the bed.
“I know, and I’m not going to apologize for her, because that was a shit thing to do. But what I do know is that Tess wouldn’t have lied if she wasn’t protecting you and the club. Viper… well, he’s all kinds of fucked-up, and he’s warned her that if she doesn’t go back to him, he was going to do some damage—and when I say damage, I mean kill you and everyone in the club. He’s unhinged, man. I think he’d seriously do it.”
I shut my eyes, imagining Tess back with Viper, him laying a hand on her. Then my mind goes to her naked and under him, crying as he thrusts into her—fuckfuckfuck!
“I gotta go,” I state, and end the call without giving Jeff a chance to respond. I gotta get her the fuck out of there, but first I gotta convince Prez that I’m the one who needs to go in tonight, not Tracker.
Tess
I inhale deeply as I exit my car and lock it. I look up at the old warehouse and a chill runs through my veins. When I arrived, I was stopped by two members out front. Snake asked them to open up for us, and it didn’t take them long to unlock the gate and gesture for us to enter.
It’s just after seven as I grab my bag from the trunk of my car. I can do this, I can. You got this.
Snake reaches me and asks, “Need a hand, darlin’?”
“No thanks,” I answer, not in the mood to accept help from anyone who belongs to the Forseekers club. I shut the trunk then walk around Snake to the entrance to the warehouse. I halt at the door, wondering if I knock, or just enter. I turn around and spot Snake still watching me, and he lifts his chin, indicating to open it up.
I turn the handle, nerves in the pit of my stomach making me feel sick. Whatever happens, I have to accept that this is my future. This is my life. Where I belong.
I inhale one last deep breath to steady my nerves then open the door. Loud heavy metal music blares from inside the room, and I step back, coming up against Snake behind me as an empty bottle smashes on the floor at my feet, scaring the shit out of me. Strong hands hold on to me, and I look over my shoulder and push myself off Snake, as if his simple touch might cause me to suffer a deadly disease. He puts his palms up as a clear gesture he won’t touch me again.
I clear my throat then look around the room, which has dim lighting, and the heavy layer of smoke floating around causes me to cough. Looks like they’re partying hard, as usual. I spot naked women among the partygoers, one giving a guy a blow job as he slaps her ass hard. I move my gaze over to the pool table and see one guy fucking a woman who’s up on top of it, while another guy sniffs what looks like coke off her breast. The whole place is disgusting, the smell of alcohol and sex in the room making my stomach turn.
There’s trash all over the floor, and I have to watch my step as I walk further into the room. I recognize some of the members, but there’s also a lot of new guys. One in particular sticks his tongue out as I walk by, flapping it at me like he wants to lick me from head to toe. I cringe as I notice his yellow teeth and oily hair, knowing for a fact he probably hasn’t bathed in days.
And then I spot him.
Viper.
He’s sitting on a couch, snorting white powder off the table in front of him. At the same time, a woman is giving him head, and one of his hands is roughly squeezing her ass. I swallow hard, bile rising at the back of my throat. How did I ever think it was okay to marry Viper? I must have been out of my mind. But then I remember wanting to make my father proud by doing what he ordered me to.
But in the end, it didn’t make any difference. He still treated me like I was a common whore around the club, to do Viper’s bidding. Whether it was in bed or to accept all his blows, it was expected I’d be a dutiful wife and put up with whatever he had in store for me.
My memories go back to when I had the courage to leave the clubhouse and start a new life. I’d been scared and excited at the same time, to start a life for myself. And I’d had a good life—well, for a short time that is.
Memories of when I first met Blaze come forward, the day he got his first tattoo. I’d taken one look at him and fallen head over heels. He was breathtaking, so masculine, and I couldn’t wait to be beneath him in a bed—that’s how strong I felt toward him. It was as if his soul was connecting to mine, and it’s something I’ll treasure for the rest of my life.
I’m just glad that I had the opportunity to feel the love of a man, a hunger for a man’s body, and for him to hunger for me in return. And the sense of strength that followed him everywhere.
Shaking my head, trying to rid my mind of memories of Blaze, I take a few steps closer to Viper, trying to ignore my racing heart and sweaty palms. I stop when I reach the table, and at the same time, the loud song playing finishes and there’s a moment of relief from the thrash of guitars and thumping drums.
Viper finishes snorting his last line, then sits back with a wide smile on his face and closes his eyes, like he’s in a moment of bliss. The whore continues to suck him off, and Viper’s hand reaches out and grasps her head, forcing her to move her mouth over him deeper and faster. To say I’m disgusted is an understatement. I obviously forgot how the Forseekers partied.
It’s only then I realize that the lights have been switched on, cutting through the darkness of the room. All eyes are on me, and not in a nice way. Most of the men look like they want to get their hands on me and choke me to death, and the women aren’t much bet
ter, a few of them sneering openly at me.
Viper must notice the change in atmosphere, because he slowly open his eyes and looks around. When he spots me, he smiles, but his hand doesn’t stop guiding the whore sucking him off. She chokes all of a sudden as he pushes her head down even further, yelling at her, “Take all of it, bitch!”
I flinch as a flashback hits me. I can’t count the number of times I was in the same position as the whore is now. Viper throws me a smug grin. “You see that, Teresa, she does as I command. She’s an abiding whore, unlike you. But now’s not the time to talk about our past, we have a lot of time to go over a few things. For now, you are here, once again under my roof.”
I look around at the warehouse and say sarcastically, “Wow, I love what you’ve done with the place.”
Viper smirks. “I see you’ve got a tongue on you these days. But that’s okay, wifey, we’ll soon put your mouth to better use. But for now, I want you out of sight. You see, I have some club business that I don’t need you around for.”
Viper points at Snake, who’s behind me, and orders, “Take her downstairs to the basement until I’m ready to come and give her a proper reunion.”
“But what about the girls? Shouldn’t I take her somewhere else?” Snake says.
“She belongs down there with the other bitches. But don’t worry, wifey,” he says, looking back to me, “I’ll come and get you when I’m ready to give you a proper homecoming gift.”
He winks and my stomach drops, and I swallow bile as I imagine his hands on me. “I won’t let you touch me,” I state defiantly, glaring at him.
He laughs bitterly. “Oh, Teresa, it’s been too long. Obviously your mind’s forgotten how you must obey me with your body and soul—wasn’t that the vow you made to me?”
I chew on the inside of my cheek, trying to hold back my retort, but I can’t—I won’t—let him get the better of me. “Hmm.” I huff. “Looks like you have someone else obeying your every command,” I say, gesturing to the girl who’s still servicing Viper.
He bites down on his bottom lip, his gaze turning heated. “Keep talking, baby, your voice is getting me off.”
I slam my mouth shut then look at Snake. “Well, weren’t you taking me somewhere?”
Viper laughs, which turns to moans of pleasure as he holds her roughly and increases his thrusts.
The sight is making me physically ill, so I turn around and flee, passing Snake and calling out, “Shall we?”
He follows, reaching me quickly with his long strides. “This way,” he says, and I drop back so I’m behind him as we head down a dark corridor. The music starts blaring once again, and I notice some of the other bikers still staring at me. Some I remember—actually, I remember most of the ones I come across, their stares radiating pure hate. These bikers aren’t like the Blood Brothers, though. Most of these guys are fat, with yellow or missing teeth, and they stink of sweat and tobacco, unlike the Blood Brothers, who all take pride in their appearance, work out every day, shower, and look after their women. They don’t treat them like whores.
“Down here,” Snake says, looking over his shoulder at me, his eyes expressing something like pity.
“What did you mean when you said ‘the other girls’? What girls?”
“Don’t ask any questions, Teresa, if you know what’s good for you. Just get down there and try not to talk to the other women, it won’t do you any good.”
I go to ask him more questions, but he turns and heads down the stairs. I hold on to the cold metal rail as the stairs take us down to a dark hallway. It’s barely lit, with only a single light bulb hanging above.
I grasp Snake’s arm. “Please take me back up, please. I’ll be good, I’ll just stay in Viper’s room. I promise.”
He shakes his head. “Sorry, Teresa, Viper’s now our president, and what he says is word. We must obey his every demand. If you know what’s good for you, you will too.”
He turns once again, and I panic when we reach a door and he takes out a key, unlocking it. He opens the door slightly, and I swallow hard, the smell of damp and urine hitting my nose as I slowly walk through the doorway.
I turn to Snake. “No, I can’t go in here. Please, Snake, surely there’s somewhere else.” I look around the room again; it’s cold and damp, and dark enough that I can’t see anyone else in there. “Wait, did you say there are other women in here?”
Snake takes out a small flashlight from his back pocket and shines it around the room. The bright light falls on a young girl sitting up against the back wall of the room. She has dark-blond hair, which I think could be lighter, but it’s obvious she hasn’t bathed in a while. Her hand covers her face, the light irritating her eyes, until it moves on to the back corner of the room where another woman is crouched down, her head lowered to avoid the glare. She has brown shoulder-length hair and is slightly older than the blond girl, and looks tough, has a strength in her I recognize and admire. She looks us both straight in the eye, strong defiance written all over her face.
But what shocks me most is that these girls are not women—they look as young as sixteen.
“I need your phone and your bag, Teresa.”
I turn to face Snake. “What? Why? How long am I staying here for?”
He shrugs. “Won’t be long. I’m sure Viper won’t be able to keep his hands off you for too long.”
Fear fills me when I picture Viper laying his hands on me. I’ll probably throw up at his touch. I hand Snake my bag and the phone in my back pocket. “Other phone, too, Teresa.” I raise my eyebrows. “Yes, Viper told me about the second phone.”
I sigh and hand him that one too. Moaning comes from inside the room, and I move in closer. “Hello?” I say, walking to the middle of the room. Suddenly a loud bang sounds, and I turn around to see that Snake’s no longer behind me, then the scrape of a key in a lock on the other side of the door. I quickly run to the closed door and bang my fist on it, yelling, “Open up! Let me out!” I call out over and over again, until my hand is sore and the sound of Snake’s steps can no longer be heard.
“Hello?”
The sound of a young girl’s voice comes from behind me, and I turn around, wondering which one it belongs to. I try to adjust my vision to get a glimpse of the girls once again, and with the moon shining brightly through the single window situated up high against the back wall, I can make out a silhouette to my right. I take slow and steady steps toward the shadow. “Hello? What’s your name?"
I take a few last steps then kneel in front of her. A match flares brightly, and I can see that the girl in front of me, the one with the dark hair and the defiant look, has eyes a beautiful shade of green. “Hi, I’m Tess, what’s your name?”
“I’m Samantha, but my friends call me Sam.”
“How long have you been here, Sam?” I ask, reaching out and moving her hair out of her face with my hand, tucking it behind her ear. She flinches when my fingers make contact with her skin, and I pull back. “I’m sorry,” I say quickly, not wanting to make her feel threatened or uncomfortable.
“It’s okay, it’s just… my cheek is bruised, from when they hit me.”
My breath catches in my throat. “I’m so sorry, Sam. Are you badly hurt?” The match has died out and I can’t see any of her features clearly.
She shakes her head. “No, it’s just tender, and I’m sure it’s bruised. They tried to drug me, with this stuff that makes you out of it, but I fought them. But Amy over there…. She’s so tiny, she couldn’t hold her own.”
I look over to the girl in the corner. I can’t see her clearly, but I can make out her slight frame, still huddled against the wall. She does look alarmingly small and young from where I’m seated.
“Why are you here?” I ask, not exactly sure why they have girls locked in a room.
I hear her sniffle and realize she’s crying.
“Hey, it’s okay.” I lean closer and place my arm around her gently. “It will be fine. I’ll find a way to get yo
u out.”
“I’ve heard them.”
“You’ve heard what?”
Samantha burrows into my chest and I hold her tighter. “I’ve heard what they’re going to do to us.”
I swallow hard, dread filling me—I can only imagine what they have in store for these poor girls. There’s gotta be something I can do to get them out of here.
“What have you heard?” I move back and look at Samantha, trying to see the details of her face.
“They’re taking us back to wherever they’re from. They’ve sold us,” she cries out, panic in her voice.
“Sold you? To who?” I squeeze her shoulder, trying to give her some comfort.
“I’m not sure. The mean one that gets off on hitting us, he told us he got good money for us because we’re virgins.” She ends the sentence on a sob, crying into her hands.
“Shush.” I try to soothe her, wondering what the Forseekers are part of these days. Whatever it is, it sounds like they’re stealing girls to sell for money. And virgins at that. I feel sick to my stomach, and my heart aches for these poor girls. They must be so confused and scared. I would be too, and I’m sure that when she described the man—mean and gets off on hitting women—she means Viper. I know all too well his proclivities. I’ve gotta try and get them out of here.
“How long have you been here?” I say softly, rubbing her shoulder with my hand.
She wipes away some tears before she answers. “Three days—I think. It could be more. Please help us, I can’t be sold to a stranger. I miss my mom and dad, I want to go home.” She grips my arms with surprising strength. “Are they going to sell you too?”
I think on her words, but quickly realize Viper would never want to share me. “No, I’m here because I ran away from that man, who unfortunately is my husband, but now he’s found me.”
“Oh my God.” She moves away and pushes herself up against the wall, trying to get away from me. “You’re one of them, what was I thinking?”
“No! Listen to me, please,” I say, gripping her arms. “I’m not one of them. I ran to get away from him, and I did—well, for two years I was free. But now he’s found me, and he’s dragged me back here, and if I don’t go with him then he’s going to hurt the people I love.”
Tess Property of Blaze: Book #5 in the Blood Brothers MC Series Page 12
