by Sarah Bale
“Six years ago, I was the fucking king of this state. Every drug dealer was coming to me, wanting my product, or a dip in Livi’s pussy.” He winks at her. “She’s the one who got me looking into trafficking, to be honest. I saw how much people would pay to fuck a nice piece of ass, so I wanted to expand my empire. Except, when I started to grab girls, my men started dying. At the hands of the Devil’s Regents and Inferno Bastards.”
I think back. Six years ago there was a lot happening, but he’s right. When we got word that someone was trying to sell women, we put a stop to it.
“Then my customers started getting antsy about buying my product. Said there were too many side effects and that they were being watched by the cops. I tried expanding and that’s when the fucking Feds got involved.” He glares at Agent Hill, as if he’s personally responsible. “Luckily, I knew the bust was coming, so I had a plan. Wasn’t easy getting out of that house, but with my cousin standing in my place, you fuckers weren’t any wiser until it was too late.”
Agent Hill says, “I knew it was a decoy. No one believed me.”
“I’m sure you did. So, I left the area. Laid low all while gathering my men and working on new products and planned my revenge on the motorcycle thugs who fucked everything up for me. One night I’m at a bar and meet up with two men who are both unhappy with their MC clubs.”
Crow says, “Psycho and Maniac.”
“Bingo. They jumped on my offer after they tried my product. Only stipulation was they had to get rid of the club officers at each club. One of them was leery, though. Said he thought their club was being watched.” He turns to Agent Hill. “So, I started looking into my good friend, Agent Hill. Wanted to see who he was watching and why.”
I try my cuffs again. Fuck. Nothing.
“Imagine my shock when I discovered that not only was he watching the same club I was trying to take down, but that there was speculation that he had planted a spy within their walls. Didn’t take long to get the old bitch, Mama Bear, on board to help us. She narrowed it down pretty quick and we figured out who the mole was. And then I get a call about a new girl working at the Devil’s Regents club. A girl that all four of the club officers seemed to have a thing for.” He smiles. “Had to look into it myself to see if it was an angle I could exploit. And that’s when I realized my sweet baby girl was working with them. But, she wasn’t just working. She was fucking all of them. All because I trained her so well.”
Liv lifts her head. “Fuck you.”
“Oh, you already have. Remember?”
I want to rip his throat out, but can’t.
“You know, I watched you all those years. Saw how unhappy you were at your cousin’s house. Watched when you fucked their next-door neighbor behind the garage each night. I knew what you needed. When you moved to Savannah and started school, I made sure you found out about the website that I owned.”
Liv pales. “No.”
“Oh yes. It’s one of my more profitable companies, all run through a bank and fake name out of the Bahamas. Helps with the trafficking business, too, by throwing people off my scent. And you, Livi, you performed so fucking well on the website. One of the most popular girls on there. But after you started working at the Devil’s Regents clubhouse, you closed your profile and ignored every attempt that I made to get you back.” He glares at her. “You don’t get to just walk away from me. That’s when I decided I was going to put you at my side, where you belong.”
She shudders at this.
“All was going along to plan until that fucking rally.”
I snort. “Guess you didn’t count on how loyal Liv is.”
He looks at me. “No. I guess not. But, I had other men who could get the job done. Except people were spooked again. Said it was dangerous to go after your club. Even attempts at bringing in new product to the area were shut down. The only fucker even willing to talk to me was that idiot who owns the Purring Pussy.”
My gut churns.
“I’m there one night, having a drink, and who do I see walk in, looking for a job? My sweet girl. She’s hired on the spot. Even if I hadn’t put a bug in his ear, Milo would have been blind not to see how sexy she is. So, I start coming every night, seeing why she’s there and who she’s with.” His gaze lands on me. “Then you show up, looking madder than shit. I follow you back to the VIP area. And fuck me, do you ever get your money’s worth.”
He’s the one who took the photo. I glance at Liv. She’s realizing the same thing. I think we both just assumed someone else took them for him.
“I ask around why Livi isn’t with the Devil’s Regents anymore and find out that you let her go because she was helping the Feds.” He shakes his head. “That’s on you, though. So, I watch and wait, biding my time. I figure out where she’s living and why she keeps going to the hospital. Even manage to track down the punk-ass kid that keeps hanging around her apartment, waiting for her.”
Holy fuck. This bastard is relentless.
“When I find out that the bitch who was working at the club is about to go into witness protection, I grab her. Then I go to work on the punk-ass kid, getting him and his roommate hooked on my drugs. I tell them it’s easy. All they have to do is help me watch Livi, take a few photos, and leave her a surprise now and then.”
Liv asks, “Why did you take Lucy? What part did she play in this?”
“That one was a mistake. I can admit that. The punk was supposed to lace your drink and then bring you to me. Except, you didn’t drink it, but she did. Couldn’t just leave her out there, so he brought her to me. Decided that I could find some… use for her.” He sighs. “All the while I was watching Livi make her way back to each of you. In retrospect, I should have held off on the photos. I think that’s what brought you all back together, isn’t it?”
No one says anything, but he’s right. Without those photos, I would have insisted that she stay away for her own protection.
He stands. “That’s it in a nutshell. I’m tired of playing games, so it’s time to end this now, once and for all.” He turns to Agent Hill. “And, unlike you, I make sure a fucker is dead before I leave.”
He taps on the door and three men enter, masks on, guns in hand.
“You’ll each die knowing that you failed someone, whether a daughter, friend, or lover. All while I take my baby girl back home where she belongs. Oh, she won’t stay with me long, because I’ve already found someone who wants to buy her. Saw her skills online. But I’ll keep her long enough to fuck her a few times.”
The men cock their guns. This can’t be happening! I yank on the cuffs one more time and my hands slip free. With a roar, I leap toward the motherfucker, striking hard. That’s when gunfire fills the room. Something pierces my shoulder, but I ignore the pain. And then I hear Liv cry out my name.
“Saint! Behind you!”
31
Olivia
Several more men enter, firing. And we’re sitting here, chained to our chairs, like sitting ducks. Fuck. One of the men lunges at Saint, so I cry out to warn him.
“Saint! Watch out!”
He moves out of the way in the nick of time, but it also allows my father to get away. A man moves toward me and I cry out. No! But then he goes behind me and my hands are freed.
“Come on. I need to get you out of here.”
“Fuck you!”
I try to pull free, but he’s too strong.
Razor calls out, “Liv, trust him.”
When I look into the man’s eyes, I see kindness. I nod once. He pulls me from the room, using his body to shield me. The other two men in masks form a circle around me as we move, gunfire all around us. They pull me into a room and a vest is shoved at me.
“Put this on.”
“Who are you?”
“Answers later, if we live.”
That seems fair enough, considering. I put the vest on, and the man hands me a gun. I’ve never been more thankful for those classes that I took.
“Ready?”
>
I nod.
“We’re going out, to the left, and up the stairs. Don’t stop for anything or anyone. Got it?”
“What about the others?”
“They’ll be following, if they don’t die.”
He peers out the door and then takes off. One of the other men pushes me forward, so I have no choice but to follow. When we get outside, the rest of the Devil’s Regents and, I assume, the Inferno Bastards are fighting my father’s men. And it looks like we just might be winning.
I’m led to a metal barricade and shoved down, while the three men fire at my father’s goons.
“He’s on the move!” someone yells.
And then I hear Saint answer, “I got the fucker!”
The gunfire winds down, or maybe there’s just no one left on the other side to fight back.
The man who saved me pulls off his mask and says, “You’re safe now.”
Standing on shaky legs, I see Saint and Razor standing over my father, who’s pinned on the pavement by Saint’s boot. He’s bleeding, but it’s not enough. I cross the parking lot toward them as sirens wail in the distance.
Standing next to Saint, I look down at my father. And then I raise my gun.
Saint touches my arm. “You don’t have to do this.”
I do. This is the man who ruined my life. Who made me think I was unlovable. Who used me in the most perverse ways imaginable.
“Livi,” my father croaks out.
“Fuck you.”
“You won’t really kill me. I’m the only family you’ve got left.”
I laugh. Loudly.
“You really think I still consider you family? After what you did to me?”
Looking around, I see that I’m surrounded by my real family.
“Livi-”
“You’re not my family. They are. And our family is about to be bigger.”
My hand goes to my stomach and his gaze follows.
“This baby will know what love is. This baby won’t be the product of incest and rape. And this baby… well, you’ll never get a chance to harm this baby.”
“Li-”
Cocking the gun, I pull the trigger. The recoil sends sparks of pain through my hand and up my arm, but I barely notice.
He’s. Fucking. Dead.
I drop the gun and go to Agent Hill’s side. “Are you okay?”
“I have to go. I need to try to find my daughter before it’s too late.”
“You’ve been shot, Agent Hill. At least let them look you over.”
Turmoil etches his face, but he nods. He stands, with help from me, and looks around.
“This is going to be one hell of a report to write up.”
Saint says, “Tell them I’m the one who killed the bastard.”
“No. Tell them it was me.” I turn to Saint. “You don’t have to protect me anymore.”
Agent Hill says, “I don’t think there will be very many people looking at who shot your father. The important thing is he’s dead. He can’t hurt anyone ever again.”
A sob works its way up my throat. “He’s really gone this time.”
For the first time in my life it hits me – I’m free. No one can hurt me ever again.
And then I cry.
32
Olivia
The next few hours are a blur of police questioning and hospital visits. King’s leg is broken, and they rush him into surgery. Agent Hill, Bash, and Saint were shot, but seem to be doing okay. Razor stays at my side as the doctor checks me out.
“You and the baby are both doing fine. Just take it easy for the next few days. If you notice any spotting or have any pain, come back.”
“Thank you.”
He smiles as he leaves. When he’s gone, Razor pulls me into his arms.
“I was so fucking scared I was going to lose you.”
“Me, too.”
“When we left the clubhouse, I knew something was off. Thank god Hawk showed up when he did.”
“Hawk?”
“He’s the one who got you out of there.”
“Is he a Devil’s Regents member?”
Because I’ve never seen him before.
“He’s more of a nomad, but, yeah, he’s a member of the club.”
“How did he know?”
“He’s a trained killer. Saint had already called him in to help find your father. Thank god he was there, or tonight would have ended much differently.”
I shiver, knowing he’s right.
“How’s Agent Hill holding up?”
“Not very well. There was a boat that left the dock around the same time the girls were taken from the warehouse. They haven’t been able to locate it.”
“What do you think will happen to them?”
He meets my gaze. “I think they’d be better off if they were dead.”
He’s only voicing what I’ve thought myself. Those poor women.
“I heard Hawk telling Saint he was going to make some calls. See if any of his contacts know anything. To be honest, he might be the only one who can get them back.”
“I hope he does.”
We sit there, side by side, and I try to process everything that happened tonight. My father is truly dead this time. I don’t have to worry about him anymore. He can’t hurt me or my family. I’m free.
But, there’s still a cloud of dread hanging over me. Is it because Saint still hasn’t talked to me about the baby, or am I just overreacting? Hard to say at this point.
A nurse enters with my discharge papers and then next thing I know I’m at Saint’s house.
I ask Razor, “Why are we here?”
“Saint asked me to bring you. Said he needed to talk.” His eyes soften. “Go easy on him, okay?”
I nod and make my way into the house. Saint is standing in front of the French doors that lead to the gardens. His arm is in a sling, but it’s the expression on his face that kills me. I go to him, hugging him.
“I’m so fucking sorry, Liv.”
“Saint-”
“I shouldn’t have left you alone. I should have fucking listened to you and not kept you in the dark.”
I smile. “Well, at least you’re starting to learn.”
He sighs. “I hope you can forgive me. Not just for tonight, but for how I reacted about the baby.”
“I get it, Saint.”
He holds out his hand. “Will you take a walk with me?”
“Always.”
Saint
The air is cool, and the ground is damp as we step outside. I feel like a dick for not grabbing Liv a blanket or something to wrap up in, but the sun will be rising soon. My breath hitches in my throat. Mary always loved this time of day, so it’s fitting that I’m doing this now.
I lead Liv down the stone path that I laid by hand. The gardens aren’t impressive now, but in the spring, they will take your breath away. We make it to the weeping willow that overlooks the pond. I motion for Liv to sit and then join her.
Clearing my throat, I say, “This was Mary’s favorite spot when we did come here. She hated the house, but, damn, did she love the garden.”
“I can see why.”
“I let it go after she passed away. Didn’t have the heart to keep it going.”
“How did she die?”
I close my eyes and decide to be honest. “Olivia, I’m not sure I can do this.”
Because the pain is still too fucking raw. I’ve overcome a lot in my life, but her death isn’t one of those things.
“I understand, but one day you’re going to have to talk about her. She was a part of your life. A part I want to know.”
She starts to leave, but I reach out, grasping her hand.
“Wait.”
She comes back, sitting next to me on the bench.
“Her name was Mary.”
My chest is already tight with emotion. Even saying her name still hurts.
“We grew up together, though she was never suited for the biker life, not really. Her
dad served under my old man.” I smile. “We used to pretend like we were married, even as kids. When we were both old enough, I asked, and she said yes. Her dad had other ideas, but in the end, he saw there was no stopping us.”
She smiles. “That sounds like you.”
“It wasn’t just me, though. Mary said I was hers and that was it. Didn’t care about all the other bullshit going on. Didn’t care about club business. Just me and her against the world.”
When I think back to the first few years that we were married, it was pure fucking bliss. Everything we did was full of passion. We loved hard. Fucked harder. And were ride or die until the end.
“My old man stepped down and named me as the new Prez. Deep down I always knew it was going to happen. What I didn’t expect was fuckers to come after Mary just to get to me.”
“Was she ever hurt?”
“Not physically, but emotionally, yes. Other clubs would try to make it sound like I was fucking whores and cheating on her. My Mary was strong, but that was her Achilles heel.”
Our love was still there, but now when we fucked, it became a game of wills. Who could last the longest. Who could prove the bigger point. Looking back, we were both young, dumb, and hurting. We would have done well in couple’s therapy, but that notion was foreign to us.
“I told you that she didn’t like my house. That’s because she associated it with the club. Things finally leveled out when I bought us a small, two-bedroom house on the other side of town.”
That place was so fucking small. We were right on top of each other, but it brought us closer. Made us love each other better. We were happy there. For years. Until I let club business distract me.
“Things started to heat up with a rival club from Atlanta. They were trying to expand their territory and we weren’t having it. I was gone more and when I was home, my mind was elsewhere. I didn’t notice that something was wrong with her. All I cared about was making sure the club was safe.
