Paladin's Hell

by Manda Mellett

  “There’s nothing to say she’s there. Whoever took my car could just have used an out-of-the-way location to hide it.”

  “Fuckin’ coincidence. Taser could hang out for hours, days, Mace. Nah, she might not be with the car, but there’s nothing to say she isn’t. At least we might find a clue as to where she might be. Even if Taser talks I don’t trust him. He might fuck with us, come up with lies to send us off in the wrong direction.” And all the while we’ll be wasting time. I glance at Mace. “I either believe you, or him. Up to now, you’ve done nothing to make me mistrust you. Taser said you took Jay in your car…”

  “Recording already shows he’s lying,” Mace agrees.

  “The key is Mace’s car, Brother,” Sparky’s next to me, apparently supporting my conclusions. “Rusty will go with you in case she’s there and needs help. At least we won’t have wasted time sittin’ here twiddlin’ our fingers. The moment Demon gets info from Taser, if he says she’s somewhere else, I’ll go find her.”

  “I’ll come with.” Every brother is offering.

  In the end, it’s me, Shooter, Pyro, Ink, Lizard, Bomber and Rusty who head out to the car’s location.

  The only thing that makes sense in my mind is that Taser’s taken her somewhere to hurt her, and by stealing Mace’s car, was somehow intending to put the blame on the enforcer. If Mace had harmed a claimed woman, they’d have killed him. How the fuck Taser thought he could get away with it, I don’t know.

  My hand shakes on the throttle. Bomber’s in the lead, I wish he’d go faster, but I’ve failed once already today to keep the shiny side up due to impatience. It won’t do my woman any good for me to die at the side of the road. Hang on, Jay, we’re coming. Is she hurt? Dead? No, she can’t be. She’s got to be okay. How would I survive if she was gone? I’d die myself. if I never held her again. I can’t live without her.

  It seems to take forever until Bomber’s indicating and turning onto a gravel road. A few yards down it opens out into a rough area of ground. There’s the Dodge Charger sitting forlorn, looking abandoned. We park.

  “This doesn’t make sense.” Pyro stares at the car. “How could he finger Mace, if his car’s here, and he’s not.”

  “What were you discussin’ earlier?” Ink questions as he kicks down his stand. “You were talkin’ to him at the bar.”

  Pyro’s eyes find mine. “Christ. He mentioned needin’ to show Mace something. Thought he meant in the clubhouse. Now it starts to make sense. Could have brought him here, I don’t know. Killed him? Found the girl? Come home the fuckin’ hero?”

  “She’s here.” I state adamantly. “She has to be.”

  “Let’s fan out,” Bomber takes the lead. I’m grateful, I just want to rush in all directions at once. “Anyone know what’s around here? Anywhere he could have stashed her?”

  “No idea, Bomber.” Pyro’s scratching his head. “Not been here before.”

  “Start looking. Mine buildings, wells. Fuck,” Bomber gives me an apologetic glance, “any disturbed earth.”

  “We could be looking in the wrong fucking place. He left on his bike,” Lizard observes, from down on his haunches, his hand pointing to tire tracks in the dirt.

  But she’s here. Somewhere. I know she is. I can sense it. I start looking for footprints, some type of clue to follow. Suddenly Rusty brushes past me. He tries the car doors, they’re locked. He raps on the trunk, there’s no response, and that’s won’t open either.

  “Anyone got a jimmy?”

  My eyes widen in horror. She can’t be in there. She’d have responded if she was. Pyro’s thinking the same thing. Ignoring the car, he starts walking off after Lizard, examining the ground, trying to find tracks.

  Slowly, too fucking slowly, Ink walks over with his tool bag, he’s smirking. “Wouldn’t want to be in your shoes, Brother, if you bust Mace’s car.”

  Rusty stands, tossing a tool between his hands.

  “If you don’t do it, I will,” I growl.

  He looks at me, shrugs, then applies what he’s holding to the trunk. The lock puts up a fight, but it’s not long before he has it popped. He pushes it up.

  Oh fuck no. Jay’s inside. Pushing him roughly out of the way, I reach in and pull her out. She hangs limp in my hands, so still it looks like she’s dead.

  How fucking long has she been left here, in a car, in the heat of the sun in the fucking desert?

  Now it’s my turn to be pulled aside after I lay her gently on the ground. My mind numb, my brain unable to process I’ve lost her forever. I fight, wanting to hold her, unwilling to let her go, even in death. Pyro’s arms are around me, keeping me away. I struggle, but his grip is too strong. It’s Ink who’s there fast with his knife, cutting the zip-tie which holds her hands together. Rusty places his fingers to her throat.

  “She’s alive. Just.”

  My own heart starts beating again. Elbowing Pyro in the gut, he frees me. I fall to my knees beside her.

  “Pull yourself together,” Rusty snarls, then shouts, “Anyone got water?”

  Ink has. Seems he carries just about everything in those saddlebags of his. Rusty sits himself behind her, raising her head, and dribbles water into her mouth. He removes his bandana and wets it, then drapes it over her forehead.

  “Are the keys in the fuckin’ car?” Rusty yells. “Or can you get it started?”

  Assuming we’re going to be driving her to a hospital, I stand, ready to pick her up.

  “I’ll give it a try.” Pyro runs to it.

  “Get the air conditioning started.”

  “What air conditioning? It hasn’t got any.”

  “Fuck. We need to cool her.” Rusty starts lifting her tee-shirt. When I growl, he demands. “Take her fuckin’ jeans off, Pal. What’s worth more, her dignity or her life?”

  Put like that, there’s no choice. As I pull down her jeans, they’re stiff with dried urine. What the fuck has she been through? I’d have done anything to save her from this. If she survives I’ll spend my life making sure nothing else ever hurts her. When she’s lying in just her bra and panties, my brothers stand around, shading her from the sun. Tee-shirts come off, Rusty squirts water over her body, and the clothing becomes makeshift fans.

  It seems like forever, but suddenly there’s a little sound from her lips. Her eyes flicker, then open. Rusty sits her up more. “Take a drink, sweetheart. But slowly, just a sip.” He holds a bottle to her lips. Dropping to my knees I crawl over to her, take hold of her hand and squeeze it.

  “Pal?” She says croakily.

  “You’re going to be fine,” I tell her, with a cautious glance at Rusty who nods, and confirms it.

  “Yeah, sweetheart. We got you now. You’re going to be fine.”

  Chapter 39

  Jayden

  I’d tried to stop myself losing consciousness, but it was something I had no control over. As I lay in that car, accepting I couldn’t get free, knowing my feeble attempts were doing nothing more than to exhaust and overheat me. Though it went against the grain, I knew lying still would help me to last longer. Gradually, I knew I was losing the fight.

  I started to hallucinate, felt insects walking over me. At one point, I could have sworn there was a snake in the trunk slithering around my legs. Then my eyes closed again, and this time, I no longer had the strength to open them.

  There’s moisture on my cracked lips. My tongue flicks out greedily to wipe it away, without thinking where it came from. I open my mouth slightly, in the hope that there’s more. Is it raining?

  I’m hallucinating again. I’m hearing voices. My hands no longer seemed tied behind me, maybe I’ve lost all feeling. Must have done in my head too, it no longer feels like it’s resting on metal. There’s also a cooling breeze flowing over me.

  I attempt to open my eyes which are darn near swollen shut and sealed with dried tears. As more water dribbles into my mouth, I at last manage to see out. It’s one of the bikers, Rusty.

  “Take a sip, sweethe
art. But slowly.”

  Someone grabs my hand, holding it tightly. “Pal?”

  His mouth moves, I don’t hear his words, but that doesn’t matter. I’m just overjoyed that he’s here and I’m no longer locked in that car. I try to reach for him, but my arms are dead. I can’t move my legs. Rusty helps me sit upright, holding that bottle to my lips, taking it away when I take a big gulp.

  “Slowly, take it slowly. Too much too soon and you’ll be sick.”

  My limbs start tingling. “Oh,” I gasp.

  “Pal, start rubbing her legs. She’ll have cramps from dehydration and from lying in the same position for so long. Ink, Pyro, work on her arms.” Then into my ear, he says, “Sorry, darlin’, your muscles are crampin’. It will hurt. We’ll get you back to the clubhouse and I’ll get you some painkillers once I know you can keep them down.”

  “I can’t ride,” I tell him, seriously.

  “Fuck, no,” he chuckles. “Got the crash truck coming.” He smooths his hand over my forehead, I think it’s a comforting gesture, but he disavows me of that when he says, “You’re not burning up so much. Your temperature has started to come down.”

  At last I think I can move my arms. I struggle to sit straight, Rusty helps. It’s then I notice I’m not wearing clothes, well, only my underwear. And there are men all around me. “Pal, my clothes?” I gasp.

  Rusty snorts a laugh. “She’s going to be fine if that’s what she’s worried about.” Then to me, he asks, “You got a bikini, darlin’?”

  “Yes, but…”

  “Probably less decent than what you’ve got on now. Hey, Pal,” his voice has hardened. “Fuckin’ look at this.” I’m leaning forward, Rusty’s now able to see my back. “She’s been fuckin’ tasered.”

  “He’s going to die.”

  Hoping Pal knows who it is, but so there can be no doubt, weakly I grab his arm. “It was Taser.”

  “Yeah. We’ve sussed that already, Jay.” The expression on Pal’s face would be frightening were it not that I know it isn’t directed at me. He’s planning retribution for Taser. Good.

  A truck has appeared. I’m lifted in arms I’d given up thinking I’d ever feel around me again. Pal lifts me into the back, then slips in beside me. “Put the air conditioning on full while you load my bike, Wills,” he instructs the prospect.

  They know what they’re doing. It only takes a couple of minutes before Pal’s Harley’s secured and we’re driving. Once back at the clubhouse he carries me straight up to our room, Shooter following close behind, Rusty too. Pal goes to place me on the bed, then stops abruptly, making me fasten my arms around his neck.

  I grin when I see why. Bitch is comfortably stretched out in the middle of the comforter.

  “Just put me down, Pal. She won’t hurt me.”

  “It’s me I’m worried about,” he growls. But he places me down carefully. Bitch gets up, arches her back, then stretches her front paws out. She comes and cuddles beside me, butting her head against my arm, purring loudly.

  “Jayden gonna be alright?” a gruff voice asks. It’s Hellfire.

  I pull on Pal’s arm. “A tee-shirt would be good,” I tell him.

  Pal starts, seeming annoyed he hadn’t thought of that for himself. Quickly he opens a drawer, grabbing the first thing he finds and passing it to me.

  Once I’ve put one of his long tees over my head, pulled it right down until it covers my backside, I take the tablets Rusty hands to me, swallowing them with a fresh bottle of water. Everything hurts. My head, limbs, my back. Overshadowing all that, though, is the fact I’m alive. Bravely I stare Hell in the eyes. “I’m going to be fine.”

  The prez steps closer. “How did Taser get you to go with him, Jay?”

  I scrunch my eyes shut, remembering my terror, swallowing hard. “He said Pal had come off his bike, was badly injured, probably dying, and was in the hospital.”

  Pal swears loudly, his hand grasping mine and squeezing as though he knows I wouldn’t have been thinking clearly after hearing that. Raising my hand I touch the graze on his cheek.

  “Yeah,” he starts sheepishly. “I may have landed dirty side up. But he didn’t know that, Jay. He lied.”

  “That’s the final nail,” Hellfire murmurs.

  “I, er, I want to see him.” I sound weak, but it’s a result of what I’ve been through.

  “Nah, Doll. You don’t,” Paladin contradicts, softly stroking my cheek, treating me like porcelain. “Why the fuck would you want to do that?”

  I narrow my eyes at Pal, then use them to plead with Hellfire. Trying to put more strength in my voice, I ask, “He got his taser with him?”

  “We took it off him, Jay. You’ll never have to worry about him again, I promise.”

  They misunderstand, seeing me as a frail young girl. I’m not. I’ve survived worse than Taser. This time, I’m in a position to get revenge. Gently moving Pal’s hand away, the ire comes through as my voice deepens. “Hellfire. I want to use his own taser on him. Let him know what it feels like.” I speak louder, “I want to watch him piss himself.” Pulling myself upright, I try to make them understand. “I need this, Hell. Please.”

  “You know what?” starts a voice from the doorway. Looking around Pal I see Pyro. Raising his chin toward me he continues, “Had my doubts whether you were ol’ lady material.” He chuckles. “Don’t have any doubts left now. Give her this, Prez.”

  Hellfire isn’t convinced. “No, Jay. You don’t want to see him like he is now. We’ve already had… words… with him.”

  Beaten the shit out of him more like. As long as he’s still breathing, I want payback of my own. “He left me to die, Hell. Alone. He nearly succeeded. I don’t know why, don’t understand it. Know you won’t tell me because it’s club business. But let me see him hurt for myself. Please. I need this.”

  When I was just a young teenager, men hurt me. I had no control then, like I’d had none today when Taser kidnapped me. I want to make him pay for what he did. I’d like to lock him in a trunk and have him die in the sun. But if I can’t do that, I’ll make him hurt instead.

  Pal’s looking at me strangely. Then he says over his shoulder, “Prez. Let her. She does need this. Give her some power for once.”

  “If I could have hurt Blackie, I’d have done it.” A female voice sounds. Fuck. Is everyone coming into my room? “I wouldn’t have had regrets. He took something from me, I wasn’t there to make him pay.” Why’s Moira talking about the old president? I park that thought as I don’t understand it, just listen when she continues, “Taser took Jay’s freedom at the least. Put her in a nightmare situation. She could have died had you not found her in time.”

  “Lucky for the tracker,” Hell says. “Taser wasn’t saying shit about her. Wouldn’t even admit he took her, just tried to put all the blame on Mace.” He thinks for a moment, then turns away from his wife and looks at Pal. “You know Jayden the best Pal. If you think this is right, I’ll go along with it. Just remember, he isn’t looking pretty.”

  “I’m not looking my best either.” I run my finger around my cracked lips. My wrists are bleeding and bruised from where I fought against my ties. I’ve not looked in the mirror, but I’ve a lump on my head, and my eyes still feel swollen. “When I look at him, I hope it will be like seeing my reflection.”

  “You look beautiful,” Pal breathes. He’s got blood in his hair too, and a graze on his cheek. He had come off his bike, though Taser hadn’t known it, that part was actually the truth. But that I’m here, alive, and he is too, makes me comprehend what he’s saying. Seeing each other again, is what matters the most. Our injuries will heal. While it will take time to move on from what’s happened, our fear of never seeing each other again, both of us are still here and have a future to look forward to.

  The thought makes me want to put him out of his misery. “Yes,” I murmur, so low only he can hear.

  “Yes?” He knows what I’m saying, that I’m answering the question he asked the night be
fore last. What I didn’t expect were the tears that appear in his eyes. He hadn’t cried when he found me. Nor when he got me back here. But me agreeing to be his old lady?

  “I thought you’d be pleased, not sad,” I tease him.

  He places one hand over me, resting it on the bed so he can lean in to give me a kiss. Unfortunately, he’s got too close for Bitch’s comfort. She strikes out with a hiss. As he whips his hand away, I start laughing.

  “Fuck knows what’s up with young people today.” Hellfire puts his arm around his wife while shaking his head. “Come on. If you’re up to it, come and do your worst to Taser now.”

  I slide to the edge of the bed. Pal hands me my unicorn pyjama bottoms he’s picked up from the chair. I slip them over my legs, and discreetly, covered by his long tee, up over my butt. Sliding my feet into my bunny slippers I realise how ridiculous I must look. But what does one wear when about to face their kidnapper?

  I get to my feet, wincing in pain. My legs are stiffening, my back and arms feel bruised as hell, and my head is still throbbing. But I don’t want to miss this chance. I have to do it now while the memories are fresh. Given time, I won’t forgive him, but my resolve to face him might weaken. I hadn’t lied. Something inside tells me I need to make him hurt. To take retribution for myself.

  Hellfire catches my arm at the doorway, he stares right down into my eyes. “You sure about this?”

  “I’m sure. He hurt me, Hellfire.”

  Hellfire leads the way. The steps down to the basement are dark, plain concrete. Nothing’s been embellished here. At the bottom, a door appears to be hanging off its hinges, and there, right in front of me, ropes around his wrists attaching his arms to a beam above, is the man who left me to die.

  Blood’s flowing freely from a cut above one eye. His chest is bare, and there are dark bruises and burn marks on him. He’s breathing shallowly as though in pain, but when he hears footsteps approaching, he opens the one eye he can. His mouth turns up in a snarl as he sees me.